The Nile Studies, 2006
A short introduction by Michael Aschauer
"With a length of 6.671 km - widely accepted as the longest river on Earth and often referred to as the most beautiful and most famous river of the world, the Nile becomes object of an experimental and unique photographic mapping and investigation.
The Nile is a singular river in several aspects and has intrigued historians, artists, poets and other people since the ancient days of the Pharaohs. Called 'iteru', meaning Great River in Ancient Egyptian, it has been primary lifeline and spiritual, cultural and economic source for the Egyptian Civilization for more than 3000 years. But - carrying down the water from the deep African highlands down to Egypt - the Nile is also unusual in its last major tributary joining it roughly about halfway to the sea. From that point on the Northern section of the river flows almost entirely through desert and the Nile actually diminishes due to evaporation and irrigation on its way down to the Mediterranean Sea.
Its crucial role as a lifeline of Egypt since Ancient Egyptian Civilization up to now does not cover up the fact that "no international river basin has a longer and more complex and eventful history of water politics than the Nile" and "It plays an essential economic, political and cultural role in the 10 countries through which it flows. Today the importance of the Nile is greater than ever."
Nile Studies is an artistic research and investigation project, an experimental photographic and cultural mapping survey by digitally scanning the Nile's long coastlines and landscapes along with its long and complicated history and politics. "