Disproportionate

    “Disproportionate” is a triptych  inspired by the Gezi Resistance, which began in Istanbul in 2013 and quickly spread throughout Turkey. The Gezi Resistance started when a group of activists protesting the demolition of trees in Gezi Park in the heart of Istanbul faced disproportionate police violence. This resistance escalated into a widespread public movement as people, tired of the oppressive stance of the government, stood their ground in Gezi Park, protecting the trees while also demonstrating the power and importance of solidarity.
    In this work, I explore the concept of “disproportionate” force used by the state against the people. In the central panel of the triptych, we see individual police figures confronting a mass of people, depicted as a soft cotton cloud, unified and intertwined as a single force. By placing cotton, a soft material, against the police, I aimed to emphasize the “disproportion” in this confrontation and to highlight the unity of the people, moving as if they were one single body.
    In the left and right panels, nature is depicted, with majestic trees and clouds merging with the figures of people, once again showing their ability to become one. These sections symbolize the balance and cycle of nature: water vapor rising from the earth forms clouds, which return to the ground as rain, nourishing the trees that thrive within this natural cycle. Through this imagery, I wanted to remind us that while humans develop their own lives, they are dependent on nature and must not harm it.
 “Disproportionate” won the competition “41. Akbank Günümüz Sanatçıları, the 41. Today’s Artists” in 2023 and was exhibited in this occasion in Istanbul. https://www.akbanksanat.com/sergi/akbank-41-gunumuz-sanatcilari-odulu-sergisi 
Please visit my website for more works:https://www.defneparman.com/