If Kiosks Could Speak: Mapping Untold Histories

They rule the streets of Cairo, silently witnessing Egyptian daily life at every corner. That’s why the social-artistic study The Koshk Project was born: to map Egypt’s kiosks using crowdsourcing to identify Egyptians’ favorite ones.

“They are hasty, messy and unplanned, like microcosms that perfectly reflect the Middle East’s most populous city”, says Egyptian-English artist Jasmine Soliman. Kiosks’ stories are frequently tales of struggle and lasting dreams: they were once given to ex-convicts, single mothers and people in need as an means to make a living. “I find them fascinating because they are one of the few things that cross all social boundaries and bind all classes; everybody needs a kiosk!” Jasmine adds.

She walks Cairo’s streets, meticulously gathering details of individual Koshks, interviewing sellers and taking pictures for her database. “But a key element of the project is user-generated content, which means the public can share their own stories.”

The project currently runs through Facebook and Twitter, but the mapping website will be launched soon. Multiple users will be able to tag each kiosk on an interactive map, add photos and share what makes it special, together building its story.

For more information, visit www.koshkproject.com