Wist Al Balad "Downtown"
It is a rare occurrence when a young family of 3 finds the need to go to the core of the city, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Being someone that lived 14 years in downtown Montreal, I had really missed that feeling that no suburb strip mall can offer. I packed my camera, and headed to downtown Ottawa after a 2 year hiatus. The hustle and bustle, the grunginess, art, food and the mix of people from all over the world was still alive and well and to top it all off, some incredible weather. In this series I tried to capture the things that sparked some fond memories for me off a city I loved so much. For example, the train reminds me of the underground metro in Montreal, something I used in my daily life to commute all over the city and its suburbs. The sheep, of all the weird art you find strewn all over the city, and the couple walking remind me of how most people are in big cities, unaware of their surroundings and walking with a purpose. A cute little yellow shop under a massive tree with sparkling lights wrapped around its trunk highlights the creativity in the aesthetic of the city. This series gave me a chance to explore spots that I had never walked to too, and courts I had never thought of entering.
Id like to think that maybe through my images, you also evoke fond memories of a past gone but not forgotten !
Thank you,
Mohammed Ajine
Ontario College Diploma Candidate -2022
Mohammed Ajine
Ontario College Diploma Candidate -2022
Photography Program School of Media & Design
