The colours of Cairo disappear behind a layer of soot, smut and sand. The few trees at the roadside or in dusty front gardens hardly get a chance to let their chlorophyll shine in the blazing sun. In particular, rubber plants ‘Ficus elastica’, whose thick firm leaves could gleam dazzlingly, suffer from the dirt. In Germany, the clever housewife usually polishes the puny potted plants she keeps in the living room, once a month with local beer. The Urban Beautician begins to clean and shine the leaves in the garden of the Goethe Institute, in order to make the bright green and the impressive gloss visible once more.
Performance in front of the Cairo Goethe-Institute, 5th of May 2007.
Camera: Sebastian Pelz
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