At the end of SAHA Studio’s inaugural term, which began in August, Larissa Araz, Alper Aydın, Özgür Demirci, and Sibel Horada presented the works they had developed and completed during the programme. Following a press conference and professional preview on 19 February, the artists’ works were on view from 20 to 22 February 2020, between 11:00 and 20:00. The three-day programme featured video, photography, sculpture, and installations, accompanied by artist talks, conversations, and performances.
SAHA Studio Open Program:
20 February (Thursday) 2020
18:00–19:00 | Conversation: Alper Aydın and Yasemin Ülgen (birbuçuk Ecology and Art Studies)
Alper Aydın discussed three projects with Yasemin Ülgen from birbuçuk, a collective working at the intersection of ecology and art. Drawing on his experiences in the landscapes that inspire him, Aydın incorporates physical and mental reflections, as well as the dynamics of human relationships with nature, into his artistic practice. The three projects explore human evolution and the chaotic and destructive impact of human presence on the natural world.
19:00–20:00 | Conversation and Music Performance: Özgür Demirci and Project Team
Özgür Demirci was joined by members of the creative team behind his project Things I Want to Tell You (Sana Anlatmak İstediğim Şeyler) for a conversation about its development and production. The conversation was followed by a performance by Çağrı Akoğlu, who composed the music and designed the sound for the video.
21 February (Friday) 2020
18:00–19:00 | Presentation-Performance: Larissa Araz
Larissa Araz presented the research and creative process behind her project Start Seeing in the Dark (Karanlıktan Başla Görmeye), developed during her time at SAHA Studio.
Inspired by a news story, Araz began researching a fig tree in Cyprus that had grown from the body of Ahmet Cemal, who was killed in 1974. The tree emerged from his abdomen and grew in an area where such a tree would not normally survive, ultimately revealing the location of the murder. Through this story, Araz explores the relationships between murder, burial, and historiography through notions of sin, land, and mythology.
During her presentation-performance, Araz shared insights into the research process behind the work, including the articles and stories that informed its development.
19:00–20:00 | Conversation: Sibel Horada and Ayşe Erek
The conversation between Sibel Horada and Ayşe Erek began with a video screening shaped by the narrative of Horada’s project Taksim Means Division (Taksim Bölmek Demek), developed during her residency at SAHA Studio.
Horada’s project imagines that the historic water distribution structure (maksem), from which Taksim Square takes its name, continues to perform its original function of distributing water. Building on this premise, Horada and Erek, whose work explores the production of urban imagery and imagination, discussed concepts of spatial destruction, memory, and belonging.
22 February (Saturday) 2020
15:00–17:00 | Panel: Çelenk Bafra and SAHA Studio Artists
