Ode to Black Earth
This project explores humanity's deep relationship with the Earth, inspired by Asik Veysel's song "Black Earth." It invites reflection on themes of existence, portraying the Earth as a loyal companion that provides, heals, and witnesses our joys and struggles. It reveals a cyclical intimacy between our hardships and the Earth's resilience. It highlights the spiritual and material connection between humans and the land, culminating in a meditation on mortality and our return to the soil.
This short video captures moments from the performance by Devrim Kadirbeyoglu, presented on December 18, 2024, at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome. The artist walks on stage wearing her grandmother's coat and hat, carrying a suitcase that belonged to her grandfather. These cherished heirlooms symbolize a connection to the past while resonating in the present. She places her brown leather suitcase on a table and opens it, inviting the audience to read a text aloud from their phones, tablets, or other devices in their chosen language. As they immerse themselves in words, they are invited to glance at the artist with phrases like 'look at the performer,' creating a shared moment of reflection. With care, the artist extracts personal belongings from her suitcase, each item telling a story, before returning them to their original home. As each viewer completes their reading, the artist closes the suitcase, lifts it with purpose, and walks away, leaving a lasting impression of connection and memory.
The performance is a study of the chapter "Death" from Sergio Blanco's Memento Mori. "All my autofictions were not written to show off but to search for myself. Each one was written from an "I" that sees in writing the possibility of meeting itself to reach out to others. In writing about the self, I find an opportunity to express myself, the chance to construct my story and to connect with others. I will never stop repeating this: I write about myself because I am alone and need to meet others. I write about myself in an attempt to understand both myself and others. I write about myself by projecting into imaginary situations in an effort to decipher the world."
