In Kassel, and during Documenta 14, for a period of two weeks, I designed the exhibition space as a bakery, and painted a mural behind the counter, similar to some Lebanese restaurants in Germany, and I invited Miss Mona El Dor, known as Um Ali in Lebanon, to lead the traditional baking act. Together, we baked Saj Manakeesh. My family members joined from Lebanon as well, including my father Nassib, and her family members. We formed a community together, and we sold the Manakeesh at a symbolic price, using biological ingredients for the dough. The idea of the bakery came as an introduction to my work in Kassel, drawings were found at the basement of the bakery. The bakery is a symbolic memorial to a bakery that existed in Lebanon, and was conceived by Nassib, to provide jobs for marginalised communities, namely people with disabilities at the premises of the institute his mother established in Lebanon. Soon after the bakery was opened it got bombed and the project disappeared. As a child I learned helping by filling in 12 pita breads in each bag, and by distributing bags to other social care associations in Lebanon.

The Manouché is a Levantine pizza, topped with cheese or thyme, or Kechk, it is typical in Lebanon, and in the region in general. In Lebanon, people usually eat the Manouché for breakfast. It is a pizza everyone can afford.

This project wouldn’t have been realized without the support of Documenta 14, the D 14 technical team, and specially Hendrik Folkerts, Ayse Gulek, Tamim Ahmad (previous owner fo the Syrian Kebab restaurant in Kassel), Fanny Hauser, Rana Matloub, Um Ali and her family members, my father Nassib and my family members, all of the D14 visitors who particiapated and bought our Manouché on a daily basis, as well as Kassel old and new inhabitants.

The profits of the bakery were modest, but we could at least re-distribute them to non-for-profit associations who support refugees and with whom I have previously worked on other projects.