Istanbul

On the Rubble of our Ancestors

On the Rubble of Our Ancestors developed from my habit of wandering the streets of Istanbul collecting fragments of the city. Chunks of concrete, marble, brick and stone became the starting point for a series of small-scale sculptural works exploring the relationship between material, memory and imagination.

The project grew from an interest in the layers of history embedded within the city. Istanbul is a place where different cultures, empires and generations sit upon one another, leaving traces that remain visible in its streets, buildings and neglected spaces. As I walked the city, collecting and documenting fragments, I became interested in how these discarded materials might be transformed into new narratives.

Constructed from a combination of found objects and fabricated elements, the works occupy a space between archaeology, architecture and fiction. Fragments of rubble become streets, walls, monuments and landscapes. Familiar urban forms emerge, yet remain detached from any specific location. They appear simultaneously ancient and contemporary, real and imagined.

The work was developed during a period when the city experienced an unusual sense of stillness. Devoid of their usual activity, streets, buildings and overlooked spaces seemed to reveal different qualities. Small details became more visible. Nature found opportunities to reclaim neglected corners. The city itself appeared as a layered accumulation of histories rather than a backdrop for daily life.

Running my hand over the surface of the city has long been central to my practice. Through walking, collecting, handling and making, I seek to understand places through their material traces. On the Rubble of Our Ancestors represents an important stage in that process, bringing together found objects, observation and imagination to explore how memory, history and place become embedded within material.