gusra ALG - Between two Waves we Sail - EGY — A collaboration between Collective 220 & Safena 7

Thinking of Photography Through the Gestures of Hosting and Sailing 

Collective 220 and Safena 7 have come together to create new longstanding collaborative processes focused on the design and implementation of exchange residencies. The residencies will bring photography and photo-based art practices into a critical dialogue with curation, book making, anthropology and history. As a pilot project, “Gusra:” Between Two Waves, We Sail addresses the scarcity of resources to try to fashion narratives together as friends, mentors, mentees and collaborators.  

Safena 7 is a Cairo-based collective that embodies a space and a journey without specific destination, serving as a platform dedicated to photography and its diverse practices and meanings.

The name "Safena," meaning "boat" in Arabic, reflects the collective’s mission to share resources and knowledge, fostering an ecosystem where photography enthusiasts — whether photographers, visual artists, anthropologists, or writers — can collaborate and explore together.

Safena also aims to contribute to the creation and publishing of Arab photobooks, providing a supportive environment for photographers and visual storytellers to showcase their work through various modes of exhibition, narration, and publishing.

Collective220 brings together seven Algerian photographers from various regions of Algeria and beyond. While primarily dedicated to photography, the collective’s members share a deep passion for capturing key aspects of Algerian culture, landscapes, and social dynamics through their diverse perspectives.

In addition to photography, several members have ventured into new areas, including training and curation. Despite these fresh pursuits, they strive to maintain a balance between their evolving endeavors and their ongoing photography projects. Through their collaborative efforts, Collective220 not only aims to document the social aspects of Algeria but also to contribute to the growth and development of the local photography scene.