ISTANBUL TO CONSTANTINOPLE.
A PERSONAL ODYSSEY GEORGE SFOUGARAS
I spent 14 days in Istanbul between the 1st and the 15th of August. Later, using the materials and experiences ‘collected’ I worked several months on creating work which I hoped has extended and developed my artistic practice in line with the Arts Council’s guidance when funding the undertaking.
The experience was rich, complex and nothing like I had expected. I went through several stages of expectation, anxiety, friendship, concern, discovery, heightened sensitivity, religious reawakening, and love for fellow man. I came away feeling that times have changed and holding on to the past serves little purpose.
I do not want to give up the history or the rich stories that I inherited; these stories, some very sad, others in-credibly inspiring, have sustained in me a deep sense of gratitude and a lack of complacency. When you know that your parents experienced displacement, war and danger, it is easier to keep a sense of perspective regard-ing life’s frustrations. However, having visited the country that they had to leave, I now feel a sense of love for the people there. I see how similar we are. I also realise how easy it is for things to go wrong and for ordinary folks to suffer untold hardship.
The outcomes were unpredictable and moving. They can be briefly subdivided into four interconnected 'stages', distinct in character and content:
THE BARE BONES
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MAKING SENSE
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PLAYING WITH FIRE
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THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE
Below is a brief example of the dozens of works produced during the months that followed my residency. A full publication and online exhibition will follow later this year.
