Exhibition: Yama, Istanbul — We are racing to God aligning with the shipwreck by the blue galaxies. (Well, Well do not exaggerate)

2007

For Frozen Waves I have made a short film about an urgent message that cannot be communicated. The message is composed of appeals from protest literature and demonstration placards I collected during the anti war movement in the US and UK. It’s me on the screen, which is huge, 6m x 9m, located 72 m above street level on the roof of the Marmara Pera Hotel in Beyoğlu, Istanbul.

“The captain addresses the crew, which is longing to come home. She is anxiously trying to get a message across. It’s night-time. Stormy weather. No terrestrial channels, but digital waves, a public service announcement to all travellers – nous sommes embarquès at the blue bus. The message cannot be heard. What is the content? What is spoken? No further information is provided. The message board is about to blow… up. Once in a while the captain comes through hurtling down 400 ft to certain death and wonders: What does it all mean?”

Commissioned for “Yama” curated by Michelle Cotton and Sylvia Kouvali during the 2007 Istanbul Biennale.
Photography: Sylke Rene Meyer

duration 4:13 min

view from street level