Stream

Witness, Susan Hiller

Beautiful work, Walking through well lit rooms of Tate Britain, you walk into a dark room. The room is filled with field of hanging translucent strings and sound discs. They glitter in the dark like fireflies. Each firefly speaks a different language, is a different person and is narrating an experience of witnessing an otherworldly object (may be an UFO.) You move through field of floating sounds, languages and stories. You could also decide to go close to one firefly and listen to its own story. Its beautiful but slightly uncanny.

Image reference:

http://emilyiremonger.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/susan-hiller/

http://rob-art.tumblr.com/post/484209352/susan-hiller

http://paula-weetman.blogspot.com/2011/03/day-trip-to-london.html

http://londonnewspictures.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/2011-01-31-Susan-Hiller-OHA/G0000Vtdq7jgnVOY/I0000zYnjKxvejgo

Newroz: Ritual of fire and tying the grass knot

Gulensu / Gulsuyu, Local Organizations

Gulensu-Gulsuyu neighborhood possesses intricate organizational structure. The organizations range from small scaled welfare organizations to Large scale political organizations. There are number of Alevi religion Organizations active in the locality which work with conservation on Alevi culture and customs. There are also small scaled socio-cultural organizations active in the place, which organize different events for the community ranging from sports, awareness programs too skill development workshops. The neighborhood also has strong connection with the Communist Parties of the country (e.g. Socialist Party of the oppressed, Socialist worker's Party of Turkey, Kurdistan Worker's Party). There are also Welfare organizations active in the precinct which work in union with Maltepe Municipality. These organizations include Art and life association , Beautification Committee and Justice Association.

Fetivals and Ritual: Newroz

Sunni prayer custom

Sunni prayer custom

Alevi weekly prayer custom

Religious Custom: Alevism

Religious landscape

The Valley also manoeuvres through changing religious landscape and practices. The neighbourhood of Gulensu-Gulsuyu is dominantly Bektashi Shia Alevis Muslim. The Alevis form 20-30 percent population of the Turkey. While the neighbourhoods of Kiptas, Cevilzi and Dragos Hill are Sunni Muslim. The gated communities are mainly occupied by upper middle class conservative muslim nuclear families. The relationship between Alevis and Sunnis has shared a frictional relationship over time. While a number of conservative Sunnis look at Alevis as heterodox, rebellious and immoral, the Alevis look at Sunnis as reactionary, fanatic and anti-democratic. The Alevi minority has witnessed number of incidents in the city which reflect the prejudice of the dominant religion. Sivas Massacre is stated as one of these example where a mob of 20,000 Sunnis attacked group of Alevis celebrating Nuwroz. The hotel which was site for the celebration was set on fire and 37 Alevis were killed during these attacks.

The neighbourhoods and nature

As one walks down the Hill, the relationship man makes with nature changes its form. The Kiptas housing is nestled in intricate network of designed gardens. This Gated community relates to nature as a medium of Leisure/ Pleasure to be consumed. When one walks through the streets of Gulensu-Gulsuyu, one cannot fail to notice vegetables growing in left over pots placed in crevices of two houses. The residents here share a more intimate relationship with nature where it is part of their everyday lives. They almost depend on nature for their survival. While for Cevilzi residents the nature is reduced down to a small planter in their balcony. Dragos Hill is a Hill covered with private Villas. For residents here Nature is more of a Jewel/an ornament with which they decorate their Villa.

Social networks along the valley

Vertical works, Anthony Mccall

Flying oil cans

Jugaad by Sanjeev Shankar

The installation is called Jugaad, a hindi term for the process of making something with the resources you have to hand. 692 discarded oil cans were crafted together by the local community of Rajokri to form this meeting space. The waste material was transformed into object of desire and value. The sculpture floats gracefully during the day giving shade to the inhabitants and reveals its sparkling splendour with the arrival of night.

http://www.sanjeevshankar.com/jugaad.html

Shinichi Maruyama's Water sculptures

Water Sculpture from Shinichi Maruyama on Vimeo.

The seed by Mujde Arslan

http://www.arteeastonlinefilmcenter.com/seed.html

Social Boundaries, Maltepe Valley

Maltepe Valley

Beycoz Valley

Uskudar Valley

Valleys of Istanbul

Nestled in the flux of Urban development live valleys of the city carrying rainwater from the forests to the sea.

Orhan in Istanbul

Orhan in London

Orhan at Bartlett

Making of the Urban repository

Butterflies of the city

Istanbul, landscape of flavours

The city, Istanbul is intricate carpet of various migrant cultures. The food of the city is an interesting representation of this dynamic patchwork.

Istanbul through seasons

Gulsuyu, Rose water festival

Oil and water

Video from Discovery Channel

Music of natural and man-made patterns

Garden of earthly delights, Bosch

Juhu Beach, Mumbai

Juhu Beach, Mumbai

Juhu Beach, Mumbai

Blurring patterns of waves, wind, bodies, smells, sounds, colours, light, sand and sky.

Oral History Project by Cultural Agency

Çocukların dilinde Zaferin adı from Grupo Etcetera on Vimeo.

valleys and other things

I loved Gulensu, a silent and a distant hill overlooking the sea. I remember watching the city from there,almost a silhouette covered in mist. The place feels very rural and I liked the way its slowness has survived in middle of the fast paced outside.

As you climb up you discover small houses made from things available around, mud bricks, tile, stones and metal sheets. There is always a backyard to each house housing a small garden to grow vegetables and small houses for hen. The edges between houses are blurred and in-betweenness allows for life to flourish. The land is not always marked with hard lines of ownership and compound walls, but allows for overlaps, porosity and life. And in these crevices and cracks everyday life continues.

There also runs a silent valley in middle of this dense settlement. It is beautiful. one can see it dissolving towards the blurred horizon. I would love to imagine it in rains, when water dances through the valley, giving life to seasonal gardens which come alive with water and die down over time. I can imagine men gathering in these garden and listening to sounds of flowing water and smelling the seasonal flowers. I can also imagine a woman in search of a bird, whose voice she hears every morning. Summers will be amazing there when entire valley will be celebration of different colours,shades and sound inviting the dwellers to enjoy beauty in all form. And off course not to forget the serenity of white snow.

I think I have found canvass for my land art, The valley. I wish my thesis could be based here, navigating between the land form and socio-polical context of this lovely site. I want it to be enjoyed by ones who live there man in the cafe,woman in the their dreams,children on the street, cat in the backyard, dog in the plaza and ducks which wander all round. I wish it could be a medium for them to be outside and enjoy the sun, the moon, the stars and darkness. I really think architecture and cities are there to be enjoyed in all senses.