OPEN EDITION GALLERY

Hayati, “my life” in Arabic, is a visual diary created entirely on a smartphone, which reflects on the photographer’s identity as a which reflects on the photographer’s dual identity as an Italian and a second generation immigrant. As the son of Moroccan immigrants, Karim El Maktafi’s life exists between two seemingly incompatible realities. Embracing a single status is not easy; feeling like an odd cultural hybrid happens often. Yet, while trying to define this identity, one understands the advantage of “standing on a doorstep”. One can decide who to be or where to belong, or else create new ties, keeping everything learnt along the path: more languages, more cultural taboos and references, more prohibitions to withstand and explain. Hayati explores some of these realities, using the photographer’s own life, family and friends as a case study. The images have been realized between Italy and Morocco in 2016.