Little Birds and a Demon - a Still Life

Commissioned by 14th Istanbul Biennial
Materials: Sea salt, wooden table and chairs, copper cauldron, ladle, and bowls, silver spoons, used-pointe-ballet-shoe-soup, speakers and sound
variable dimensions
Little Birds and a Demon -- a Still Life was commissioned for the 14th Istanbul Biennial in 2015 and was presented at Istanbul Museum of Modern Art.

Direction: Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev

bienal.iksv.org

The work consists of an installation with a dinner table containing plates (broken and whole), spoons, a cauldron filled with cut up pointe shoes in which ballet dancers had previously performed in. On the table was a diamond shape made out of the dust from the cut up pointe shoes. The same shape was repeated on the floor with sea salt. Over speakers the artist was heard speaking a text interrupted by opera singing. The text is based on a conversation with a biologist who speaks about his experience of monitoring birds and the environment for oil and other condemnations.

This work is part of a body of research which explores the sea as a political site as an attempt to grasp the affect capitalism has on every living organism.