What can art achieve in an age of virtual “secondary worlds,” real wars, and mass migration? How can artists create new identities without descending into dystopia amidst changing values? The Shifting Identities exhibition emerges from these questions, presenting various perspectives on utopias, theories of the “end of history,” multiple crises, and shifting global power relations. Using screens and projections placed in the display windows of bustling city spaces, the exhibition examines a world seemingly doomed to failure.
Ferhat Özgür’s video work, Border, included in the exhibition, explores the demographic shifts in Istanbul caused by the influx of migrants and refugees from Syria, the Middle East, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Link Between Street Crowds and War
During the 2023 Eid (Eid al-Fitr), the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality provided free public transportation, leading thousands to flood the streets. On the same day, with the UAV ship docked at Sarayburnu open for free public visits, major streets in Istanbul’s historic peninsula experienced overcrowding. Özgür’s video focuses on the chaos, particularly the crowd attempting to cross the iron barriers separating the tram and highway on Galata Bridge. It metaphorically links this spontaneous street performance to the ongoing wars at Turkey’s borders. The crowd not only references the influx of migrants and refugees at the border but also offers a general perspective on Istanbul’s changing demographic profile.
The Shifting Identities exhibition will be on view from January 24 to March 30 in Basel, utilizing screens and projections placed in shop windows throughout the city’s busy areas.
Organized by the VideoCity initiative, founded by Andrea Domesle and Walter Seidl, this public video art exhibition will run from January 24 to March 30 in Basel. Curated by Toni Stooss, former director of the Salzburg Museum of Modern Art, the exhibition examines art’s constructive role in life, questioning how artists interpret a dystopian world amidst wars, migration, and shifting values. The exhibition features works by Ferhat Özgür, Hörner/Antlfinger, Jessica Dudziak, Lisa Hoffmann & Moritz Hossli, and Leah Studinger & Raphael Reichert.
