One of the first examples of sound poetry published in Turkey, this “work” treats poetry as a written genre and an experience in which sound, body, and space are intertwined.
“Dance” is conceived as a sound object, a book, and at the same time an evocative machine. The work is presented in an old cassette box containing two sound poems. These poems explore the body’s rhythm, the layers of memory, and the aural relations with space through Ezgi Tekin’s aural and fictional arrangement. The pieces can also be listened to on digital platforms. Released in cassette format, this multiple work draws attention with its nostalgic and experimental nature. The project is a contemporary contribution from Turkey to the sound poetry tradition that emerged in the early 20th century with the Futurist and Dadaist movements. Following in the footsteps of artists such as Henri Chopin, Kurt Schwitters, and Laurie Anderson, “Dance” brings the poetic power of sound back to the agenda. Complete with a small book hidden under the cover, this special edition is reminiscent of the old days when song lyrics were attached to the inside covers. This time, however, it is the poetry of movement, not music.
Only 30 copies of this special edition, each numbered and printed in an edition of 50, will be available for sale. Designed for collectors and contemporary art enthusiasts, “Dance” can be considered a corporeal archive against the threat of forgetting.
From the book:
Mallarmé defines dance as visible poetry. The erasure of the person is included in this definition. The dancer is a knife, a bird, a temper, a cut, a tree, or any natural phenomenon. More than a person, I often see them in terms of the metaphors carried by the dancer. Dance shows a thought in the form of an event. It cannot be fixed. It is the body that becomes the thinker, not only the mind.
