The 'Screen/Memory' features Alev's selection of three unforgettable movies - 'Wings of Desire' by Wim Wenders, 'L’année dernière à Marienbad' by Alain Resnais, and 'Solaris' by Andrei Tarkovsky. She transforms screenshots from these films into postcards, displayed alongside her projection, "Emergent Emotions," inviting viewers to explore alternative narratives with the characters.

Another piece, 'Q u e s e r a sera, 2021,' is a mixed-media work exploring answers through photographic and lithographic prints, merging the outside world with inner reflections by offering different readings of daily life. Meanwhile, 'Up and down/ rise and fall, Never-ending Cycle' draws inspiration from the snakes and ladders game, serving as a metaphor for life's journey. The triptych 'Just Before Waking' and ‘The Groundwater theory of anxiety’ reflects on environmental anxiety and the unconscious destruction of our surroundings, while 'Bad Moon Rising' evokes a mysterious and introspective atmosphere, and a contemplation of life's complexities.
The acceptance, exploration, and finding meaning in various experiences convey a subtle connection to the concept of amor fati. The artists seem to embrace the twists and turns of life, finding inspiration and creativity even in challenging circumstances.

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THROW THE DICE
In the intricate tapestry of life, the challenges we face can often be likened to a game of Snakes and Ladders, where progress is marked by ascents and setbacks, victories and obstacles. The collaborative journey of Alev and myself, encapsulated under the theme “Rivers in the Ocean,” mirrors the twists and turns of this timeless game. This narrative unfolds not only as a personal exploration of fate, creativity, and the transformative power of art but also as a reflection on our shared experience in the divided city of Nicosia.

My journey, symbolized by the Snakes and Ladders game, begins with the realization that life, like the board, is unpredictable and filled with opportunities and challenges. Emerging from a period of confinement, we found ourselves at the starting point, ready to roll the dice and embark on a journey that would redefine our experiences within the contours of a society in crisis.

The game’s metaphorical relevance becomes apparent as we navigate the complexities of the system in which we live. The value placed on unique experiences becomes the ladders moves us forward, while the routine without meaning, the accumulation of actions without introspection, represents the slippery snakes that threaten to pull us back into the machinery of production.
In the game of life, Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of ‘amor fati’ becomes our guiding principle, echoing the philosophy of embracing fate. Every decision made becomes a step on the board, an action taken, transforming them into meaningful experiences. The philosophy encourages breaking free from the frenetic sum of experiences, allowing us to appreciate their place and significance in our lives.

The significance of routine, initially perceived as monotony, finds its place on my artistic search. Divination becomes the dice I roll, establishing a connection with myself. Painting through coffee ground stains becomes a visual representation of capturing fleeting moments, similar to the effect of a camera. The surface itself becomes a snapshot of life’s journey, capturing the essence of each square on the board.
Contemplating time travel within the game prompts intriguing questions. Altering past events becomes a quest for tranquility, while the acceptance of difficult times emerges as the true path to peace. The appreciation of smaller moments becomes the ladder leading us to higher levels of understanding, guiding our way through the difficulties of the board.

Collaborating with Alev becomes the collaborative play of two individuals on the board, sharing the pleasure of observation. “Rivers in the Ocean” becomes our playground, inviting others to engage in the pleasurable gaze. The COVID lockdown, marked by loose words and sketches, forms part of our ‘COVID Diaries,’ bridging the small and large scales of the work.
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Our journey extends beyond personal reflections, reaching into the heart of Nicosia, a divided city. The exhibitions under “Rivers in the Ocean” become bridges, transcending boundaries and manifesting as a testament to the transformative power of art. The fate of a divided city becomes an opportunity for positive change, challenging limitations and fostering unity.
As we continue to roll the dice on the board of life, “Rivers in the Ocean” stands as a testament to the interconnectedness of our journeys. The game of Snakes and Ladders becomes a metaphor for our collective experience, and through the lens of art, we invited everyone to participate in the healing and transformative energy it brings. Our fate may have presented us with challenges, but with each roll of the dice, we find new opportunities for progress, growth, and shared understanding.

In parallel, Alejandro Jodorowsky, a Chilean- French filmmaker, artist, and writer, interprets tarot archetypes as universal symbols facilitating a connection with one’s inner self and elevating consciousness. In the Art Space Gallery, we both employed tarot cards, viewing these archetypes as dynamic and not fixed, offering a constant avenue for exploration. Connecting with these symbols enables us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our role in the world.

I particularly want to highlight the Magician archetype, symbolizing the power of transformation, the ability to create one’s reality, and access hidden knowledge for the benefit of others. This archetype aligns with our artistic journey, where each creation becomes a transformative act, shaping our reality and offering insights for those who engage with
these art works. The tarot archetypes adds another layer to our exploration, intertwining the mystical with the tangible aspects of life’s journey.
ASLI BOLAYIR
 

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Curators note:

The exhibition is a selection of multimedia works by Alev Adil and Asli Bolayir that engage with the physical, psychological, naturaln synthetic, snd systemic structures that may guide, and sometimes vanquish human experiences .
Its title referring to the connection between global issues and its localities, takes inspiration from the now interrupted flow of the Pedieos river that once ran through the walled city of Nicosia, and broader ontological and metaphysical aspects of water currents as a starting point in addressing the abilities and failures of humans in dealing with contemporary life.

The exhibition is taking place in two locations across the divide in Nicosia under the same title, presenting two distinct variations on the theme in parallel to one another, with a selection of complementary yet unique works. The selection of works, comprising of audio-visual installations, digital photographs and film stills by Alev Adil, alongside large-scale mix-media and photographic works, collages and prints created by Asli Bolayir, created between the years 2019-2022 coinciding the Covid-19 pandemic, stems from the artists' collaborative reflection and exchange on the Latin phrase Amor Fati [love of one's fate]. In their engagement with this notion in a broader sense, Alev Adil and Asli Bolayir open the act of "accepting our fate" into a space where alternative realms and identities emerge, highlighting the disoriented proximity of humans to nature and the natural movement in life, such as fluxes and change, in relation to the narratives surrounding fate.

Anchored within a wide range of recognisable cultural references on chance, hope, fear and forlorn, as well as states of sub/consciousness, the artists engage with issues around mental health, and post-pandemic neuroses amongst all sectors of society especially emerging from feelings of loneliness, uncertainty and disconnection.

Alev Adil's artistic practice taps into wider cultural and theoretical narratives around heritage, semiotics and psychology, exploring different states of anxiety through art, dark humour, and wordplay. Her multidimensional work, consist of digitally manipulated imagery, performances, photography, appropriation, and series of collected tropes in visual culture and cinema, engages with travelling across cultures, languages, time and space, experientially challengingnotionsof"being on theother side"or"other".

Asli Bolayir's work is informed by dualities, movement and displacement as well as an interdisciplinary experimentation with materialising abstract concepts like time, transparency and luminosity. In her therapeutic practice, she works with marginalised and excluded members of society, including the disabled and prisoners. Asli Bolayir, uses play as a means to bring fragmented elements together, what is divided, and what is singular into the multiple. Her work oscillates between the anchors of factual places and experiences and fictional fluid transpositions.
Both artists have been contributing to the international field of art for decades through performances, exhibitions, conferences, festivals, workshops, as wel as literary and academic writing. This exhibition is a culmination of their expertise, combining their aesthetic practices with an applied element that engage with the themes of the exhibition as well as issues around mental health and post-pandemic neuroses.
 

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