A Mirror of Sky within the Water’s Fold

Installation with mosaic applied on the ground, 300 x 300cm,

Sinopale Former Prison in Sinop, Turkiye, 2024

This permanent site-specific installation, located in the garden of the historic Sinop prison, focuses on endemic plants and endangered bird species native to the Sinop region in northern Turkey. Drawing on reports from Doğa Derneği, a leading environmental organization, the work underscores the grave threats facing local biodiversity, including bird species endangered by deforestation and industrial development, particularly from the construction of a nuclear power plant.

The installation reactivates a natural well in the garden as a birdbath, designed to collect rainwater and serve as a sanctuary for local and migratory birds. The surface of the birdbath features intricate mosaics depicting endangered bird species, emphasizing the interwoven fates of biodiversity and cultural heritage. By linking these species to mosaics inspired by Turkey’s archaeological traditions, the project draws parallels between ecological destruction, the erosion of cultural memory, and political interventions

The deforestation of over 650,000 trees for the nuclear plant has caused significant ecological harm, endangering biodiversity and disrupting the migration routes of numerous bird species. This loss also impacts endemic vegetation, agricultural lands, and the balance of the local ecosystem. The installation draws attention to these issues, advocating for a redefined human relationship with nature—one that acknowledges our interconnectedness and the need for coexistence with non-human entities.

This mosaic installation, created for the International Sinopale Biennial 9, serves as both an artistic expression and a call to action, inspiring visitors to reflect on the shared responsibility of preserving biodiversity and cultural heritage for future generations.

This work was realized with the valuable contributions of SAHA Association, the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Turkey, Ali Arbağ, Ali İbrahim Öcal, Arzu K. Özçağlatan, Ceren Altay, Deniz Erbaş, Elif Derviş, Elif Şensoy, İlayda Kök, İpek M. Sur, Kate Price, Maria Nespeca, Özge Gönek, Siwar Mazigh, Serdar Akliman, Suha Kemal, Petra Diehl, Federico Boncristiani, and Zeynep Burçoğlu.