Contemporary Archaeology
Olivier Cablat

Following Enter the Pyramid, Contemporary Archaeology, is the second volume of Olivier Cablat’s ongoing project on contemporary Egypt. The french photographer continues his study of contemporary Egyptian society and its relation to history. He specifically focuses on the recurrence and appropriation of imagery and symbols in the daily life of Egyptians. The front side of the book presents everyday items as a taxonomy reflecting the repetition of historical forms in ordinary objects. On the reverse side, Casern’s allegory, a spectacular panoramic view, shows a fictional photographic report about the 2004 transfer of Ramses the 1st's mummy from Karnak temple to Luxor museum. Mimicking the fragmented archeological method, an gigantesque photomontage is created from photographic fragments, creating what Cablat calls a mental reconstitution of the scene.