“Visitors to Every City are quick to notice that they are standing in a unique and marvellous place. For many centuries, the sights, sounds and the smells of this city have made travellers feel like they have entered a fairyland. Although it has become a cliché, it is hard to get around this fact: Every City is a place where modernity meets tradition. There, I said it!”
Writer: Efe Levent Artist: Alaa Alhassoun Arabic Translation: Talal Bou Kheder
Guide to Every City is a fictional guide to a made up city. The inhabitants of this made up city are not humans but insects. The story uses this metaphor to explore the burning issue of social polarisation which exists in every city. Written from the perspective of made up travel writer Steve McCracker, the work also lampoons the latest trends in orientalist travel writing. It is published in broadsheet newspaper format in three languages: Arabic, English, Turkish. One thousand copies are printed, five hundred of which are numbered.
Guide to Every City was first published as part of the Orthopaedics exhibition held at the artist space poşe on 28th March 2019 with the contributions of Ona Göre design.
You can listen to a podcast of a discussion and Q&A session at Artéfact Paris recorded on January 10th 2020 with the author.
If you wish to read a digital copy of Guide to Every City and all our future publications, you can download it by making a monthly pledge of 5$ to our Patreon.
A paper copy can be purchased from Artefact’s website. You can also receive a paper copy for a pledge of 25$. A monthly pledge will subscribe you to receive a paper copy of all our future publications.
You can also purchase a copy from the locations below:
Arthere Istanbul
Artéfact Paris