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The Stranger in My Bosom, 2021 Technical Installation Description

This installation addresses the urban transformation of Dikmen Valley (4th and 5th stages) in Ankara, where informal settlements were demolished and replaced by profit-driven high-rise developments. These changes displaced low-income residents, erased public and ecological spaces, and intensified income inequality. Six wooden puzzles, each composed of 16 pieces, are arranged to form a rectangle. Several central pieces are removed, creating a void that contains a remote-controlled excavator. A pencil-drawn site sketch of Dikmen Valley is rendered across the puzzle surface. The excavator acts as a destructive agent controlled remotely, symbolizing power and authority, while each puzzle piece represents a parcel of land subject to speculation. Trapped within the void, the excavator repeatedly strikes the surface, emphasizing the aggressive and cyclical nature of profit-driven urban transformation.

This installation addresses the urban transformation of Dikmen Valley (4th and 5th stages) in Ankara, where informal settlements were demolished and replaced by profit-driven high-rise developments. These changes displaced low-income residents, erased public and ecological spaces, and intensified income inequality. Six wooden puzzles, each composed of 16 pieces, are arranged to form a rectangle. Several central pieces are removed, creating a void that contains a remote-controlled excavator. A pencil-drawn site sketch of Dikmen Valley is rendered across the puzzle surface. The excavator acts as a destructive agent controlled remotely, symbolizing power and authority, while each puzzle piece represents a parcel of land subject to speculation. Trapped within the void, the excavator repeatedly strikes the surface, emphasizing the aggressive and cyclical nature of profit-driven urban transformation.
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