Space-Placement … Place-Displacement is an interdisciplinary art project that mainly took place in demolishing sites in Addis Ababa. For more than five months, I had been engaged with a project that deals with the contemporary spatial orientation of the city and the level of societal involvement through modernization activities. The project went back and forth from public space activity to studio production processes. Through the project activities, I was trying to understand the enigmatic position of the city beyond the experience that could be generated through our day-to-day activities. And further to experience the shifting moments of urban spaces.
Installation
Modern Art Museum (GKDC)
Addis Ababa / Ethiopia
2011
To make the installation work, I used dismantled pieces of bricks and wall parts I collected from renovating construction sites in Addis, combining them with colored and reflective glasses and shiny mosaic pieces. I have used the museum’s floor as an open-closed space to demonstrate my collected minimal elements. Then, by applying spotlights from different directions, I tried to create reflections of lights to various angles in the museum space. Viewers of the work experienced disturbing light reflections while moving through the museum space.
Painting Performance
Site-specific Project
Addis Ababa / Ethiopia 2011
The painting performance took place where people were selling old doors and windows taken from old houses, removed from renovating construction sites in the city. Such markets have always been taking place around each renovating construction site, during and after the demolishing activity is taking place. I see the dismantled doors and windows as a product of intensive social relationships developed through time and space. The dismantled old doors and windows were active parts through day-to-day activities and interactions of the people. Therefore, they are part and parcel of that specific society’s history and present existence that needs continuous maintenance toward subjective and objective realities of the community.