2022
Harvard, GSD
Project Title:
Aamha//قمحة
Project Description:
The National Institutes of Health defines a phantom limb as the perception of pain or discomfort in a limb that is no longer there. This project explores the notion of phantom limbs in urban environments, investigating what has been forgotten, gone unseen, or been left uncontained: Ghost Ecologies lurk hidden, but very much present.
In the aftermath of Beirut’s August 4th explosion, wheat stored in these silos was sent flying across the city, sprouting, and spreading throughout neighborhoods, creating unexpected pockets of nature that peppered areas of industry and urbanity. The wheat grew where destruction had gone. Some may see this as a sign of hope, while others may view it as a romanticized idea of “resilience”. Aamha (which is Arabic for “a grain”) hopes to shed light on the unseen and forgotten aspects of Beirut and explore the complexity of the city’s history and its narrative–still being written. How much can a single grain of wheat contain?
Beckoning unfiltered truth in content, Aamha currently investigates the impact of the wheat silos on social, economic, and cultural levels and explores its geographic,
socio-political, and metaphorical aspects. As the first edition drops on the 3rd anniversary of the Beirut Blast -, crowdsourced features will delve into the thoughts, feelings, and reactions of the population as they process their experiences through the abstraction of a single grain of wheat.
Exhibit Photo Credits: Aamro Arida