TRANSPARENCY
CER MODERN
The Water Nymphs sculpture, located in the garden of the Cer Modern building, is positioned to offer a wide-angle view of the structure. Brought to Ankara from Europe in 1926 and previously found in five different locations within Ankara, the sculpture's current positioning within Cer Modern is the starting point of our study. "Transparency" marks the common thread in our experiences; it defines the spatial experience in the water element of the Water Nymphs sculpture, on the glass surface at the entrance of Cer Modern, in the raindrops accumulating on this surface, and in the glass case displaying the rails in the building's former railway workshop. Transparency and the water experience are also reflected in the exhibitions.
In our video project, we focused on the element of water, transparent surfaces, and sounds both inside and outside the building. Furthermore, based on the idea that the Water Nymphs sculpture and the train tracks carry traces of the past, experiencing them through sounds that are silently remembered, we prepared texts in which they and the glass surface in the courtyard recount their experiences in their own words. We concluded our video with sounds from the nearby train station, which, in contrast to the silence of the train tracks at Cer Modern, continues to carry traces and movement from the past.
Buse CINI
Ibrahim Erdem GUNAY
Sukran Kubra CAMBAZ
Water Nymphs Statue:
I was born in France, and after traveling all over Ankara, I came here. It used to be a place where the sound of trains never stopped. Now I only hear people walking on the tracks. What I can see are the exhibitions that change from time to time, and sometimes sculptures placed next to me to be my neighbors. I remember them all; they remind me of myself, a little bit. A few sculptures that traveled before being placed in their permanent locations. I hear the dogs barking. They don't bother me as much as the people walking on the old tracks. I think I'm more familiar with them than with the people. When the sounds of nearby cars and dogs cease, I listen intently to the buildings around me. Sometimes I sense the astonished glances of people walking around the exhibition, and sometimes the meaningless stares of conversations come to mind. But I'm still far from the commotion, and no one is stepping on me. Look at that glass surface; the people walking on it bother me, yet I envy it. It acts like a link connecting the interior and exterior spaces of Cer Modern.
The Glass Surface in the Courtyard:
I was conceived as a double-sided and transparent interface. I am both inside the exhibition space and outside in the courtyard. The two communicate through me. I love the raindrops accumulating on my surface, which is part of the courtyard; even though my surface covering the exhibition space doesn't encounter rain, it reflects the movement and sound of the raindrops inside. This strange duality created by my existence gives me a peculiar pleasure. And I am truly fascinated by the people strolling outside and looking at the exhibition space with curious eyes; it feels like they could watch for hours even if nothing changes.
The harmony between the cheerful sounds inside and the splashing sounds above me creates an indescribable sense of balance. Yet, I still envy the "petrified" statue standing outside; like a guard, it hears and sees everything that happens. But I'm not sure it's aware of what's going on in the exhibition space downstairs; even I can only guess when I listen closely. There are only silent corridors and a few footsteps. At night, in the endless silence, I sometimes hear echoes, the sound of the artworks being moved to storage, the smell of warm metal from the ramp being opened for them. Then silence again… A silence that makes even the great walls speak, but sometimes, isn't silence a tool that makes things that cannot be heard or seen legible? Like traces of life that once existed right here. Yet, the silence frightens me. I wonder if there's anyone else who witnessed those old times when the iron rails and workshops reached Cer Modern, someone familiar with the sounds of the past?
Traces Inside a Glass Dome: Train Tracks
The glass dome covering me is both durable, like a sculpture, and a transparent bond that makes me visible through its permeability. Thanks to it, people can walk on me and examine me without touching me. I remember the sounds of the past, the trains and the hammers of the repairmen. Back then, I longed for silence, but now even the ghosts of those sounds are like a dream. Before, I saw the sun; now I am imprisoned inside a dome. Those who observe me think I am nothing more than a few rails, but I carry the traces of the entire building's history. I sense the sunny days, the crowds of people, the echoes of the hammers; until they are interrupted by the voices and footsteps of people viewing the exhibits. Sometimes they walk on me, passing by without noticing me, trapped and imprisoned beneath their feet. Perhaps one day they will see me and listen to my silence; then they will hear the voices I hold within.