G U R B E T
On The Turkish Diaspora and Double Nationalities
Installation, 2021 - 2022
“Bir lisan, bir insan. Iki lisan, iki insan.”
English: “One language, one identity. Two languages, two identities.” (Turkish Proverb, in Gümüşay 2020, 27)
Installation of the 12 pieces and additional information to each song variation. (From: flyer)
Read in the musical solmization system, Kâtibim /Üsküdar’a Gider Iken is recognizable as one of the most wandering and popular melodies. This particular Turkish traditional folklore song - the most famous melody snippet stated above - is a household name among Turkish migrant families.
In this cross-disciplinary work, the song serves as the main placeholder for transculturality, migration and identity searching/making within the Turkish Diaspora. Kâtibim is the underlying common thread throughout the research and artistic output.
Gurbet follows the path of Kâtibim artistically, focusing on the lyrical (and other) differences in the adaptations and (re-)map the traces of origin. It crosses various borders and continents, serving as the primary source for exploring the Turkish Diaspora in Europe, the struggles alongside double nationalities, and the fragile multiplicity of identities. As the project is subject to the notion of identity-finding and EU migration, the scientific research addresses the history and consequences of integration and migration politics, the Turkish Diaspora in Europe, and the sensitivity of struggling/shattered identities and sense-making of home.
By using the traditional Turkish marbling art Ebru on cotton the art installation consists of 12 hanging pieces following the song ́s path, embedding the diverse substances of the Kâtibim variations. Each of the 12 pieces represent one variation of the song Katibim . Printing on lightweight cotton material - hereby deriving from the traditional head scarf Tülbent - offers the unique pieces to dance and move.
