Who Carries The Water

Overview

İz Öztat and Fatma Belkıs are collaborators who explore the convergence of water and freedom. Who Carries The Water (2015–2017) is derived from the research of Öztat and Belkıs on the construction of run-of-the-river hydroelectric power plants in numerous valleys of Anatolia, Turkey since 1998. This body of work is shaped by the artists’ engagement with local communities and the communities’ struggles against these constructions in order to preserve autonomous ways of living.

For SB13, the artists revisit Who Carries the Water and interpret its presentation for Bait Al Hurma in light of recent events of state suppression in Turkey. The artists use vernacular building materials common in the Arabian Gulf region, such as areesh [palm-leaf fronds], palm leaves and rope, reflecting their decision to produce and present work without use of electricity. The lessons of Anatolia embedded within it, the installation amplifies a core desire of the struggle: to align the free flow of streams with that of consciousness and self-determined states of being. In an inner space of Bait Al Hurma, the artists have installed a whirling cone carrying carobs tied with red ribbon, which evokes resilience, while a dialogue-based text brings together multiple voices.

This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 13.