Yasmine El-Meleegy discussed her ‘Scaffolding a Familiar Epoch.’ (Supplied)
Stephenson and Co. was founded by George Stephenson during the British Occupation of Egypt. It was nationalized during the Nasser era, before being sold to the same Egyptian family that runs it today.
Both the absence of pharmacy museums in Egypt and my fascination with the multiple themes of museology and restoration are what led me to pursue this intervention. I wanted to create an exhibition experience beyond the gallery, in an accessible public setting. I also wanted this to be a practice in breaking into closed spaces, and a questioning of what museology entails, and whether old spaces should be classified as museums or sanctuaries.