ABOUT
This work is made for the 5th Istanbul Design Biennial as a part of atlas Design Project.
Inspired by the myths of Assyrian, Babylonian and Greek civilizations settled in the area of Harran, Public Dreams is an installation to reflect on the repeating story arc of ‘the myth’ and its sealing effect on the unconscious . Observing the common patterns in the plots of the three civilizations mythologies; Public Dreams shows 15 different stages of the cyclical myths from death to birth; by using 45 different symbols that differentiate for all three civilizations.
The project underlines the role of myths on gender norms by examining the common tendency behind the masculine and feminine gender assignments to different stages and symbols; along with the idea of "Earth Mother" being complementary to the "Sky Father" in all three mythologies.
With its transparent layer in the front; it articulates the awareness of the transformation of the mythic archetypes manifested in different cultures as metaphors for how we live and relate to one another and those forces that we cannot understand but which shape us nonetheless.
Specifically, with its colors in transition and the spiraling circular patterns, it highlights the need to supersede the strong asymmetrical stratifications between genders towards a world of multiplicity as well as interwoven narratives and identities.
Duality manifests as unity in the work.
Text by INCOMPLIT
