performance

"Observing the atmosphere and filtering particularities of usualness trying to concentrate them in an action. Giving a small input of irritation while causing a great change of situation. Implicating and responding to the status qou, never knowing the outcome. A chess of mutual interference. 

Socle, Pillar, David and I - 2013
Istanbul - Mixer Gallery

Photo: Jürgen Fritz

Action by Yasmin Schaffer and David Scheffler 

Ekmek - 2012
Istanbul - Art Space Istiklal Caddesi

Photographs by Joanna Tam

Bread has a special worth in the value system in turkey. The performance deals with this delicate issue on several levels. Abundance, throwing away bread, feeding, hunger, stoning someone, collecting the bread, kissing the bread.

Back to the top

Strippenzieher /
Pulling the strings

IPA Performance Festival

Istanbul 2012

Fotos Jürgen Fritz, Joanna Tam

Six golden spools distributed to the audience, the yarn ends fixed to her dress, the artist turns clockwise around her own axis. The audience is literally pulling the strings and decides which parts of her body is wrapped in thread. After 45 min the yarn is transferred from the spool-body to the artist-body. The action creates a contact, a connection and also a (inter?)dependency between artist and public. 45 min is a long time. That may become an ordeal. At any time the audience can be at the end of his tether. That opens space for frustration and fascination, irritation and sympathy, derision and compassion, distrust and Joy, attraction and repulsion.

Back to the top

Sanatci - Performance 2012

IPA Istanbul 2012

Foto/Video by Charlotte Bosanquet

Sanatci – Istanbul 2012

I walk through south galata with a burried wagon selling my photographs on the street for 1 Lira each. Not really a paying concern, if we consider time and costs. What about value creation?

Just like traditional streetsellers in Istanbul I screem and shout loudly and long stretched the name of my profession to get the attention of the potential buyers. 

While the Simit-seller is screaming "simitciiii" I scream the similar sounding word „sanatciiiiii“. Sanatci is the meaning of artist. 

The traditional screeming of the sellers was restricted by the government 3 weeks before.

Back to the top

take a rest - drink tea with me - Istanbul 2008

While sitting on a very busy crossing in Kadiköy, Istanbul having a rest and reading a book about the history of Kadiköy inbetween this rush of people and cars I shared my tee with the passangers. 

Back to the top