Islam Aly

​Delta
2023, Edition of 50 and five proofs.

Box: 9 x 9 x 2.5 inches. Book size: triangle with each side 8 inches x 1 inch, enclosed in a cloth-covered box with plexiglass sides. Leather bound book, with leather wrappings connected to brass cut pieces, laser-cut Fabriano paper,  inkjet printed text, linen thread, book board, museum board, paper, and Coptic binding. Signed, numbered, and dated by the artist. 

The book "Delta" uses the symbol Δ to represent a change or difference in quantity between two values in mathematics and science. The term "Delta" also refers to Lower Egypt, where the Nile River delta is located. This delta is one of the world's largest, stretching from Alexandria to Port Said. However, rising sea levels put much of the northern delta, including the historic port city of Alexandria, at risk of being submerged in the Mediterranean.

"Delta" highlights the global crisis of rising sea levels and its impact on deltas worldwide. It contains a descriptive poem for the Nile Delta by Nicholas Michell and features images of sea monsters from The Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus, initially published in 1539. 

Sea monsters have been a part of human folklore for thousands of years and are often depicted in artwork and stories as symbols of danger and the unknown. These images serve as a reminder of the risks and uncertainties of the ocean and remain a symbol of the unknown.

The contrast between the descriptive poem and the sea monsters underscores the gravity of the topic and its importance. Delta is enclosed in a box with two transparent sides that display laser-cut images. The front features an old map of the Nile Delta, and the back shows an old map of Alexandria port.