The new administrative capital of Egypt is a city that was planned on the drawing board and built in the desert sand. The desert settlement is intended to create living space for around 6.5 million people and relieve Cairo's infrastructure. As the country's military leadership is strategically planning to relocate its centers of power to the remote, exclusive location, the new city remains sparsely populated, which is causing increasing concern among critics of the mega-project. Only the workers maintain the glass facades and rose-lined streets. In view of high housing costs, the question arises as to whether the city will be inhabited enough to justify the enormous consumption of resources.
Access to the city was gained by changing roles as a tourist, architecture student or investor - resulting in arrest. fata morgana reflects the dreams of a military dictatorship: futuristic architecture, built as an exclusive space for the government, the wealthy and tourists. Architectural set pieces, such as the newly built financial district, illustrate the pursuit of Western ideals without, however, focusing on sustainable standards.
Beyond the horizon of the city, Louis Roth's long-term series fata morgana documents the discrepancy between utopia and reality and poses the question of what humanity will leave behind for future generations.
