“Uçan Halım” – “My flying carpet”
by Deniz Soezen
The installation consists of a handwoven carpet (wool carpet 135 cm x 190 cm) and a documentary-style video (HDV; ap- prox. 14 min, loop). The piece was commissioned by Herbert Manser and Lisa Palak-Otzoup to be displayed in the „niche“ of their living room in Basel, Switzerland.
Deniz Soezen asked Turkish weavers in the small town of Gördes to translate the design of her own childhood drawing (1987/ Turkey) into a wool carpet. The artist documented this complex process which inevitably leads to questions regard- ing trade, globalization and the weavers’ perspectives in a short documentary-style video-piece which is shown together with the carpet.
Carpets can be seen as metaphors for migration. The title “Uçan Halım” – “My flying carpet” highlights the aspect of mobility, whilst echoing popular Orientalist cliches.
The project can be considered as a homage to Italian con- ceptual artist Alighiero e Boetti who used to work with artisan embroiderers in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the 1970ies.
The project aims to enable visitors to explore the multiple connotations of this artefact and initiate further discussion about art.
Deniz Soezen asked Turkish weavers in the small town of Gördes to translate the design of her own childhood drawing (1987/ Turkey) into a wool carpet. The artist documented this complex process which inevitably leads to questions regard- ing trade, globalization and the weavers’ perspectives in a short documentary-style video-piece which is shown together with the carpet.
Carpets can be seen as metaphors for migration. The title “Uçan Halım” – “My flying carpet” highlights the aspect of mobility, whilst echoing popular Orientalist cliches.
The project can be considered as a homage to Italian con- ceptual artist Alighiero e Boetti who used to work with artisan embroiderers in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the 1970ies.
The project aims to enable visitors to explore the multiple connotations of this artefact and initiate further discussion about art.
| Tags | conceptual, gender, multimedia, research, woman, political, subversive , digital, large format, reportage |
| Technique | Installation |
