Birdir Bîr

In the exhibition, Birdir Bîr, Öğüt traces the intervention of socio-political conditions in his hometown in the Southeast of Turkey, where he returns after 13 years. Öğüt thinks through the cultural frameworks that surround the issues of destruction and transformation in the geography where he was born. Yet, he wants to bring together the past and the present to build up a healing perspective for the future with his work. The project alludes to the devastation, displacement, and irreparable damage inflicted on the archaeological site and the region due to the ongoing water dispute. By focusing on Hasankeyf, divided by the Tigris River, Suat Öğüt reflects upon the water policies, daily life, agricultural activities, urban policies, and the function of borders in Upper Mesopotamia through materials associated with his childhood memories. The project comprises installations, videos, printed materials, and a scaled city model. The first work to encounter is a three-channel video titled Nefes (Breath). It documents the destruction caused by the dam construction in the region from a subjective perspective. It pays tribute to the local population’s determination to continue living at home despite adversities. Birdir Bîr exhibition, which will continue with an artist talk, closed session presentations, dinner and workshop activities, is kindly supported by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Mondriaan Fond. Suat Öğüt: http://www.suatogut.com/