Fellows

“Sokak Otları” (urban weeds) - Kerem Ozan Bayraktar

Kerem Ozan Bayraktar ( Turkey )

Kerem Ozan Bayraktar worked mainly with video, photo and text. His main research was based on Urban Weed growth in Berlin but during the residency it evolved into broader topics such as "Life and Materiality".Bayraktar's work in “Sokak Otları” (“urban weeds” in Turkish) consists of observing growth and pattern dynamics of “ruderal” urban plants in ecologically disturbed sites such as ruins, car parks, abandoned buildings, road cracks, railways, etc. The artist is interested in the weeds’ “invasive” and “native” status, their connection with history and migrations, and their interaction with infrastructure. Through these issues, he aims to understand the relationship between environment and living things, and to explore new possible ways of thinking and sensing by looking at the non-human. Starting in 2018 with small notes on Instagram (@sokakotlari), this ongoing inquiry proceeds with photos, texts and diagrams.