2019, Performance / Zine

This is a work in collaboration with Rotterdam based artist Jake Caleb and it’s an ongoing dialogue into locality and disruption following the constantly moving roots of the fig tree. Looking at cities like London, Istanbul and Rotterdam they try to trace the impact and process of immigration through the presence and absence of the fig tree. Merve from the perspective of her homeland where they are native species and Jake from London where they have been introduced and thrive in the cities microclimate; entangle their different positions much like the fig tree that has the capacity to both resist and adapt.

In the performance, they voice letters written to each other and talk about their experiences taking the fig tree as a symbol that represents. These letters were later brought together in a zine format and continue their travel.

Performance duration: 10 Min.

Extract from one of the letters of Merve to Jake:

“I’ve been wanting to write you since some time. Maybe because I’ve been in different cities lately and had a chance to secretly search for a friend with the edge of my eye. It’s such a nice feeling when you know to see a familiar face so unexpectedly. When I was in Berlin as I was about to rush into an exhibition space I heard someone calling my name and just then I turned my head to see a very old friend that had been living there since sometime. I knew that he had some misfortunes and difficulties since he arrived. He had to drag his long beautiful hair through obstacles to be able to adapt to this new territory he landed on.”