Kinship Spaces

What’s in a space? Spatially, there is a familiarity that goes beyond the urban landscape. It moves through towns, their edifices and rubble, and meets nature in ways that are ordinary and disarming.

For cultures influenced by collective understanding, especially those in the Global South, these elements are bound by everyday life. In Tunisia, ayshek (عيشك) is the spoken currency that means “thank you”. But it also carries the endearing wish “may you live” toward others. Why does this sensibility feel at once so similar and distinct from Mexico, where dar gracias (giving thanks) and making others feel como en casa (like at home) also express this warmth?

This publication is a cross-continental dialogue between Tunisia and Mexico. The first set of photos, taken in Tunis, forms the point of departure, while the second the set responds from Guadalajara/CDMX, tracing the small gestures of affection, use, and autonomy within everyday spaces, ultimately coming together in synergised form in Berlin, Germany.