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Artist's vision turns Gaza’s smuggling tunnels into an underground metro


Palestinian artist Mohamed Abusal envisions converting Gaza’s smuggling tunnels into an underground metro system.

A small handful of Bedouin families living in the Gaza Strip ran thousands of smuggling tunnels beneath the Egypt-Gaza Strip separation barrier. In part to transport weapons between Rafah in Egypt and the Rafah Palestinian refugee camp and in part to import every day goods, some of the tunnels are well built and include decent infrastructure, while others are at risk of deadly sewage leaks. The inspired work of Palestinian artist Mohamed Abusal, a photo exhibit at the French Cultural Center depicts what Gaza City would look like if these subterranean spaces were converted into an underground metro facility .

Going Green dreams in Gaza
Dubai has a fairly sophisticated metro system and Jordan is on track with its planned rail system, but public transportation of this variety is a still a distant dream in Gaza. Yet for Abusal, it’s a dream that Palestinians really need.

While visiting France and using the metro system there last year, the 35 year old visionary got the idea that Gaza could also have an underground public transportation system. By converting the existing tunnel system into a portal for new subway trains, Abusal is convinced that the densely-populated city’s crowded roads and polluted skies would clear.

But Abusal is not an engineer, so he has turned to his art to create a “visual solution” by mapping out what a real metro system might look like. He also designed a giant Metro sign, which he then photographed in 70 different locations throughout the city, according to Mashallah News. more

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