Organic cotton fabric, glass dome, 3D print, aluminum
2025
In this durational performance, I carried the seeds of the endangered Arnavutköy strawberry on my body while waiting for them to germinate. Once cultivated in the Istanbul neighbourhood where my family has lived for generations, the strawberry is now close to disappearing. I developed a womb-like carrier that kept the seeds warm and protected over my heart, close to the heat and rhythm of my body. If they sprouted, I planned to replant them in Arnavutköy and return them to the place where they had once grown. The performance had no predetermined duration. For one month, I carried the seeds while teaching, working, and moving through the city. Their uncertain future shaped my routines and gradually created an emotional attachment. Although no signs of germination appeared, the relationship did not end when I stopped carrying them. Its bodily and emotional traces continued through my journal and the videos, sculptures, and installations that followed.