C.A.M. Gallery is hosting Amar Kılıç’s solo exhibition titled ŞîN, which will be on view until January 25. Known for his cultural studies and artistic productions in and around Mardin, Amar Kılıç presents a multi-layered structure that bridges mythological narratives with the oral and visual memory of today. The exhibition derives its name from the Kurdish word “Jin,” which shares the same root with the words for mourning, blue, and sprouting, meaning “to live.”
ŞîN connects the mythic, traditional, and contemporary by symbolically narrating architectural structures from historical resources, represented as blue dots, through objects such as architectural forms, pigeons, and keys. Each flying pigeon, each rusted key, and every wall and embroidery that has weathered and turned blue under harsh sunlight combines with the chemical processes of mourning blues in memory. Amar’s exhibition delves into the transitions of colors, grief, and architectural transformations throughout history, using the color blue as a medium interwoven with the city. Through photography, the exhibition captures both animate and inanimate entities, while highlighting the various meanings of blue in local dialects.
Inanna and Dumuzi
The exhibition introduces mythological characters such as Inanna and Dumuzi, known from Sumerian and Babylonian tablets, where they symbolize the cycles of the seasons. These figures are interwoven with tales of human transitions and forgotten, distorted architectural symbols, reinterpreted through the depth of photography. Amar’s narrative confronts the remnants of those who, like Inanna, ventured into the “land of no return,” as he explains:
“Inanna and Dumuzi become blue again within the stone and walls of the city’s ancient inhabitants, with fertility fish, healing snakes, and pigeons. Like the blueing of spring carried away by those who left…”
The exhibition employs fish as a symbol of fertility (as seen in Babylonian myth and Christianity), snakes as providers of healing and protection (according to local beliefs), and keys as artifacts crafted by the city’s former residents, which became functionless following the structures’ transformation. Pigeons, meanwhile, represent the architectural reliefs and symbols altered after these homes were passed to others, as well as the city’s liveliest celestial inhabitants.
The photographs also explore the Babylonian creation epic, Enuma Elish, questioning forgotten beginnings and the regeneration arising from the triumphs and defeats of Tiamat and Marduk.
Once Upon a Time in the Heights
The starting point for the exhibition is the Babylonian creation myth, described in the exhibition text, Once Upon a Time in the Heights:
“Back when the heights had no name,
And the earth below was unnamed…
“The Babylonian creation myth is significant due to its association with the New Year Festival, ‘Akitu.’ The story, known by the name Enuma Elish—meaning ‘once upon a time in the heights’—has been set to a ceremonial poem or song. This project is based on the myth where Marduk, Babylon’s guardian deity, splits goddess Tiamat into two, forming the heavens with one part and the earth with the other.
“The narrative highlights the Tigris and Euphrates rivers—described as forming from Tiamat’s eyes—as the lifeblood of Mesopotamia, a land rejuvenated like a serpent shedding its skin. Represented through the snake motif, the myth also embodies the strong allegorical connection between existence and non-existence.
“In this project, Tiamat’s corporeality signifies ‘existence’ through the symbolism of jewelry. The idealized female body depicted in the photographs aligns with the serpent motif, encapsulating the story’s essence.”
The exhibition will be on view at C.A.M. Gallery until January 25.
