The Bells

light & sound installation < in progress >

“The Bells” is a light and sound installation that creates and visualizes its own resonance. The glass is hit at undetermined intervals by a metal rod, creating a sound whose volume is represented by the intensity of the light. The repeated hits on the glass make the spectator wonder whether the glass will at some point break. With its inherent tension -between the materials, glass and metal, light and sound, friction and vibration- and fragile harmony, the work creates a resonance that reminds us of the moments in life when we feel in sync with the world.

The light and sound wash over the space and call people to gather, slow down and observe their surroundings, create an environment for people to become aware, question their perspective, enjoy togetherness or aloneness and feel the appearance and disappearance of resonance. “The Bells” offer a metaphor for socio-political pressure on the minorities of Istanbul and how they are being repeatedly forced to the margins by the minimisation of their vital space.

Inspiration of the installation idea is based on a personal experience:

Before I started my career as an artist, I gained experience in designing conceptual interior spaces which enabled me to explore the interaction of people with their environment, objects and light, and added a socially engaged and collective element to my work. In 2013, I co-founded Olmazişler, a collective of two designer-makers. Our work was based on thinking through the existing possibilities, learning by experiences and creating conceptual spaces. Most of our projects were on night clubs and bars around Taksim, an area which until recently was known as the locomotive of nightlife in Istanbul. Just before deciding to take a break from my design practice, there was a moment that made me question the impact of my work. I was at a rooftop bar in Taksim, on top of an old building made in Armenian architecture style, overlooking the city. While brainstorming on the design of the space and looking down to understand the surrounding environment, I noticed a church hidden behind high walls and surrounded by bars and clubs. After that moment, my eyes started to catch the hidden sacred buildings belonging to minorities in Taksim area and the systematic efforts to hide their existence. Then I realized how our nightlife culture has been built on hiding their existence, how -even unknowingly- we structure our nightlife on the devastation of other cultures.

#Crafted In Istanbul

Produced in Craft studios of Istanbul:
Turret Lathe: Nedim Köroğlu. Metal Lathe: Cevat Köroğlu. Brass Master: Taylan Usta