Let History Guide You examines the impact of the commodification of Egypt’s housing market since the 1970s. It questions the associated stigmatisation of informal architecture and the simultaneous marketing of architectural heritage.

Three paint buckets bear the engraved phrases »Free from Informal«, »Remove Deformity«, and »Unified for Uncivilized Scene«. These phrases are taken from statements by the Egyptian government advocating the aesthetic and ideological regulation of informally constructed buildings through regionally standardised colour schemes.

Enlarged details of digitally altered Egyptian banknotes, in which historic architectural landmarks have been replaced by informal buildings, question the state’s representation and valuation of architecture. Alongside these, protest placards feature slogans taken from advertisements by global real estate companies. In these advertisements, terms such as »History« and »Heritage« are used to enhance the perceived value and market appeal of gated communities.

Photo 1: Kai-Hendrik Windeler
Photos 5, 6: Christian Doeller