This book, eye-catching at first glance, certainly does justice to its remarkable content. Nasser Road tells the story of a graphically striking segment of the printing industry that originates in Kampala (Uganda), producing posters and calendars with the most fantastical depictions of figures from world politics – imagine Saddam Hussein and George Bush having a fist fight in ice hockey kit, or Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un armed to the teeth in military uniform. These seemingly absurd scenes are in fact a telling introduction to Ugandan perceptions of geopolitical power structures.
The book’s content is clearly the decisive factor in its form: a rich quantity of poster designs is reproduced on duplex board coated on one side, with explanatory text notes on the uncoated sides of the sheets. The cover is in stark contrast to the interior, but also forms an inviting bridge to the photo section at the heart of the book, where we find photographs of these poster’s natural habitat: Nasser Road, home to the printing businesses and vendors.
In relation to the rest of the selection, it is striking that this is the only book made using the cahier technique where the fore edge is trimmed – so the book does not have a ‘fish mouth’. The second edition of Nasser Road was not produced in the Netherlands but in Uganda, showing further dedication to the theme of the book.