Sandstorm - And Then There was Dust

DEPO, Tütün Deposu, Lüleci Hendek Caddesi No.12, Tophane, Istanbul

Art and science join to explore the impact of sandstorms, both ecologically and politically.

Concept: Sarah Maske and Ayat Najafi

Participating Artists: birbuçuk collective, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Sinem Dişli, Negar Farajiani, Ayat Najafi, Mahmoud Obaidi, Tehran Platform (Mehran Davari, Niloofar Najafi, Elmira Shirvani)

Depo curators write:

The interdisciplinary art project Sandstorm - And Then There was Dust examines the origins and consequences of sandstorms with a mixture of artistic and scientific means and thus aims at reaching, sensitizing, and activating the civilian population living in the affected regions of Mesopotamia and its offshoots (today’s Turkey, Iraq and Iran). It focuses on the ecological phenomenon of sandstorms and the related socio-political circumstances.

The created ecological and political artworks result from a collaboration with the local inhabitants, activists, scientists and other related actors, in order to create sustainable impacts. The works examine roots and consequences of sandstorms and visualize them in the form of artworks on sites as well as in the exhibition shedding light on its historical, material, and conceptual formations.

A publication with contributions by eight writers from different fields and a video tour with performances by the artists will accompany the exhibition. Both will be available on Depo’s website shortly after the opening.