EAST BEIRUT - 1984
Sign: Open
Plaque on wall: RUE 60 RUE ....
Sign on building SECTOR 10
Sign on building: AID SECTOR 10
Plaque on wall: SECTOR 26
RUE 19
RUE GERGİ ZEIDA
IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS BY THE DEMARCATION LINE , WALLS OF SANDBAGS SEVER THE STREETS . CONTAINERS TAKEN FROM THE DOCKS OF THE DESERTED PORT STAND IN THE MIDDLES OF ALLEYS , TO PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM SNIPERS ' BULLETS . BUILDINGS SHUT THEMSELVES AWAY BEHIND WALLS OF CINDERBLOCKS AND METAL DRUMS . INSIDE THESE DIVIDED SECTORS , LIFE IS ORGANIZED AROUND CEASEFIRES .
MY GRANDPARENTS ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE LIVED A FEW STREETS AWAY FROM US .
(Map top to bottom, left to right):
my grandparents
CONTAINER CONTAINER CONTAINER
CONTAINER CONTAINER CONTAINER CONTAINER CONTAINER
Our home
WALL
SNIPER
TO AVOID THE SNIPER , LOCALS HAD PERFECTED A WAY OF MOVING BETWEEN BUILDINGS .
CROSSING THE HANDFUL OF STREETS BETWEEN US REQUIRED FOLLOWING A COMPLICATED AND PERILOUS CHOREOGRAPHY
(Map top to bottom, left to right):
my parents
RUN WALK CLIMB JUMP HUG THE WALLS RUN RUN WALK BEND OVER RUN CLIMB JUMP WAIT WAIT WAIT
THE SNIPER
RUN RUN RUN
me and my brother
HERE IS THE SPACE WE HAVE LEFT
(Map): Here
(Map): here
IN THIS STRANGE HALF - CITY
(Map):
SNIPERS ,
OIL DRUMS ,
CONTAINERS ,
(Map):
BARBED WIRE ,
SANDBAGS
CARVE OUT A NEW GEOGRAPHY .
