CRISIS

*Metnin Türkçesi 2009 April imi altında "Kriz" başlığında mevcuttur.

December 2008, Istiklal Avenue, Istanbul, Turkiye

There is an obvious chaos going on all over the world on the basis of so-called economic crisis. Before the crisis itself begins to effect people’s daily life who are not acknowledged with theoretical knowledge of the economy the fear of the crisis and economical precautions started to govern people’s way of living and make them suffer. Whoever has a chance to do it, began to keep money, even to make more money over the claim of crisis by asking for inhumane favors from whomever they could. The street performance “Crisis” is based on this inhumane favors asked from people within the excuse of crisis.
The Performance is performed by two individuals in three parts:
1st Part is based on an absurd and illogical request being asked to the individuals walking down the 'Istiklal Avenue’ (the most crowded area of Istanbul). While the first performer tries to convince people to take a deep breath from an oxygen mask and hold their breath until they arrive their final destination, the second performer holds an oxygen mask trying to supply a deep breath for the trip. This absurd request is said to be helpful for the society to overcome the crisis, with the minimum damage.

2nd Part of the "Crisis" performance is humanizing the economic crisis. The first performer with two stickers on the back and front that wrote ‘Crisis’ is meant to substitute for crisis. There are also an absurd make up on her face and bells on her ankles to take attention on the street (as much as the crisis). She starts to walk across İstiklal Avenue as she is a guardian blocking people to pass. The second performer is like everyone passing by until the action begins. When they face each other 'the crisis' informs the passer-by that there is a crisis in that particular area (pointing around herself) so she has to pass right beside her. When the second performer tries to cross by her side ‘the crisis’ stops her again telling her exact same meaningless explanation. This sequence continues across the whole street until the second performer gives up and goes back to where she was coming from.
The 3rd Part of the performance starts and goes on by two performers representing ‘crisis’. They are both dressed up as ‘The Crisis’ (as in the 2nd part of the performance). Only there are cards written ‘foot steps of the crisis’ attached to their lower legs. They distribute flyers which says: "Under very hard conditions citizens are welcomed to have a job opportunity. Long working hours! No payment! No other supplies!"
The performances became more and more interactive while processing. People gave reactions that attracted attention of the others. These performances had become an open platform that people were free to react and share.

TURBAN

*Metnin Türkçesi 2009 April imi altında "Türban" başlığında mevcuttur.

September 2008, Istiklal Avenue, Istanbul, Turkiye




"Turban" is the first action of two people coming together around the described aims of Project AA+A. The unconscious reaction of two women, over a subject that they try to remain distant and objective, is the basic motivation for the performance. Their great effort for holding the scale even on the subject is even reflected in the neutral and disinterested title.
The performance consists of two women who are all dressed in blacks for separating themselves from the crowd, sharing a scarf, a head covering, a skirt and a coat –all black in colour- by wearing and taking off these pieces of clothes in turn and continuously in Galatasaray area of Istiklal Avenue. The work tends to break the perception to create new perceptions on meaning of covering, political symbolization of scarf, effect of covered and uncovered women on each other by the choice of wearing or not wearing a scarf, normalization of conflict and may be also unforeseeable areas on the topic through creating an unexpected situation, instead of claiming a judgment over the overhandled and abused subject. It created a space of experience of wierdity of action of wearing a scarf on the street, the state of being covered, looking the environment having a scarf on and even attracting the attention of men with that clothing for the performers. In addition to this, by chance "audience" performed various reactions ranging from not even realizing to recording the performance and talking on Turban or the performance itself. We are hoping the action to make a difference on PERCEPTION, LETHAGCY of not reacting and the state of being ACTIVE.
However, we also think that the work could be and should be criticized on success of reaching its aims through specification of the topic by narrowing it down, or even containing a specific attitude towards the topic and variety of audience that can be meet on the chosen area.

What is AA+A?

*Metnin Türkçesi 2009 April imi altında "AA+A Nedir?" başlığında mevcuttur.

Project Description: When and where art is a tradable product, for example an anthology chosen by IKSV (Istanbul Foundation for Culture Arts), a word that is complicated by overusage of media, a concept theoritically abstaracted (by incomprehensible, elitist refrences; limitations of taste and a built image that art belongs to some "other" class) and practically isolated (by means of transportation, time and cost) from the majority of society, a concrete form of aesthetics, a traditional point of view; this project is absolutely not aiming to produce art.
When and where theatre is transformed into history museums by governmental foundations, private theatres sell their owners' reputation, a few innovative attemps remain within their own narrow frame, actors become slave of an author and a director, people coming together are searching for an idea instead of ideals becoming the meeting point for people, production spaces are closed; this project is absolutely not aiming to make theatre.
This project was only for standing against the decay of perception and the lethargy of its participants.
Everytime, beyond the outline of images, situations and events, there lies a deeper meaning. However, under the bombardment of stimuli and living overspeed, people educate themselves (or are educated) to numb their senses not only against these deeper meanings but also against the images, situations and events themselves. Through this project, participants aim to defeat their lethargy for creating a space to express the subjects that worth expressing or need to be expressed, by recreating them in a specific form and on the streets of the cities for making those subjects visible and percievable by reframing them. It is hoped that the audience who meet any performances by chance would rethink over the subject or at least would have a tickling sensation on their perceptions and if not, at least the participants and their awareness would be activated as a way of living through the experience.