Sming Sming Books Open Call
Brief Project Proposal/Vision/Materials
The object is an audio cassette case that includes photographs and texts instead of an actual cassette.
The origin of the format of this project is a fun anecdote, and I was ultimately inspired by meeting you at the 2021 Small Press Book Bazaar in the SFMOMA. I would love to tell you more about how it all came out.
It is a deeply personal project, a collaboration with my mother, and edited by my wife. The prototype includes 36 photographs, each commented on by my mom in the back, featuring her handwriting in Arabic and translated into English for a wider audience—I shared the project once during a friend’s exhibition, a modest event at a local flower shop in SF. The project is, by all means, a prototype that can be repackaged. There are also many ways to expand on it. For instance, I think it can benefit significantly from introducing more text and making it more lyrical.
I have omitted many meaningful details for brevity, and I will be more than happy to share more over a quick call.
tl;dr During the pandemic, my mother suffered from an unprecedented panic attack due to the world’s uncertain times. Unable to see her family, given her at-risk health, I’ve decided to travel on her behalf and bring some news back. The photographs document my return to my home island, Djerba (Tunisia). To help her express her feelings and connect with her, I’ve asked her to caption a few selected photographs. Those captions are now in the back of the pictures.
Brief Statement of Interest
Sming Sming Books publishes small batches of beautiful objects, what I would call beautiful and artful oddities with a handcrafted quality.
Talking to you at the SFMOM event opened my eyes to the possibilities and inspired me to materialize my idea in a budget-friendly matter. In that sense, my project might be a good fit. To be honest, objective, and self-critical, the form factor feels like a good fit. Still, the content might need reframing or recontextualizing to better fit your audience—but I definitely see potential.
I have been photographing for 15+ years. It’s only been a couple of years since I started digging into my piled-up digital archive. I hacked this prototype/project together. I have limited experience editing, designing, and printing my work. This is where Sming Sming Books can come in invaluable. I also have a couple of other pitches I can make if you have the time for a quick call.
Thank you for your time and consideration, and I am grateful for meeting you and inspiring me!
