Kifesh?

"Kifesh?" is a visual diary in a place\state where there are fewer time factors. “Jijel” where I was born and grew up, is a small city in the northeastern of Algeria, surrounded by mountains, Mediterranean from the north and it has tiny roads to link it with other cities. where the days blur into one another and life moves to the rhythm of a monotonous cadence, I am lost in a timeless reverie. Each day unfolds like a dream, a haze of familiarity and repetition, until I collide with Friday, that sacred day that punctuates the monotony, serves as a catalyst for my awakening. As the call to prayer resonates through the air from the mosque near the city's cemetery and which is close by my house. Here, amidst the funeral prayers, I confront the fragility of life that leads to being conscious of time once again.

With these photographs that seem like flashbacks from the dreams and relying on the social perception as well as my subconscious memory which is guided religiously, I want to show a mental journey that questions the notion of time as well as the relationships between time, space and human being.

Kifesh

[kɪːfeʃ]

(Adverbe)

A word commonly used in Arabic-speaking societies, in Jijel particularly it carries multiple meanings, serving as a common greeting similar to “How are you?” in English, while also encompassing a sense of boredom. When people say “Kifesh,” they often seek something to do or discuss, indicating a desire to fill a void or find excitement in their interactions.