Ecological responsibility and the evolving relationship with nature
Deniz Burak FLAG
Social media, which has become a vital part of our lives, literally bombards us with dozens of violent videos every day. Most of these are directed at the animals with whom we share our world, our streets, and our homes, the animals that enrich our lives. I don't know if humans , ever since their emergence on the stage of history, have done this because they consider themselves superior and legitimately capable of tormenting every other being. But I do know that, especially in a climate where the state apparatus refuses to stop this and fails to penalize violence against all non-humans with a speciesist approach, we are racing toward a dystopia where violence, alienation, and massacres will never end.
Fortunately, there is art. The "Life of Animals" exhibition, spread across three floors of Salt Beyoğlu, addresses this issue with a significant body of work and a meaningful conceptual framework. In Turkey, where municipalities have been rounding up stray animals and sanctioning mass slaughter in recent months, this exhibition provides a compelling defense against the injustices and violations of the right to life inflicted on animals.
The exhibition takes its title from the novel of the same name by South African Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee. In this novel, the author questions anthropocentric views and explores empathy and compassion towards animals. The exhibition's intellectual framework is comprised of works by German-Iraqi activist artist Lin May Saeed, who died in 2023, decrying cruelty towards animals. Saeed's work is supported by numerous artists, both local and international.
HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONSHIPWhen you enter the Forum area, amidst the noise and crowds of İstiklal Street, little of that noise vanishes. Visitors are greeted here by a series of animal sounds. It's called the "Sound Space," and you hear striking sounds from numerous speakers. Sometimes it's the laughter of a mouse, sometimes it's the song of a whale. As you read the description of this multi-artist project, you'll encounter concepts like eco-acoustics and zoomusicology. As I read and listen, I realize the artists work in these disciplines, and that their work consists of field recordings and sound works. Directly opposite these speakers is David Maroto's two-part mural, inspired by Çatalhöyük and created specifically for the site. Maroto questions established narratives about the continuity of human-nature relationships.
The variety of materials and works changes and increases on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Along with moving images, paintings, and installations, embroidery, engraving, and textile-focused works predominate on these floors. Works on themes such as domination, animal liberation, and ecological responsibility, a topic often overlooked by many, stand out. Of particular note is Mine Yıldırım's archive and research project, "Between Care and Violence: Istanbul's Dogs." Tracing the discourses, changing spatial policies, and administrative and legal processes surrounding dogs' lives in Istanbul, from the exile of more than 80,000 stray dogs to Sivriada, the city's smallest and most remote island, in 1910 to the present day, Yıldırım presents a timeline that, in the light of archival documents, reveals the changing forms of violence against dogs and the evolving understanding of care, compassion, and protection as counter-forces. Programmed by Joanna Zielińska and Fatma Çolakoğlu, "The Life of Animals" will be open to the public free of charge until August 10th.
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