SENA BAŞÖZ
CYCLES OF NATURE:
Continuity and Equilibrium
2018-2019
This project explores the theme of loss, focusing on the continuity between life and death. It delves into the organism’s ability to self-repair and the inherent balance that nature achieves over time, forming the core of a narrative that questions the concepts of memory and forgetfulness within this context.
A key influence for this work is David Ruelle’s Chance and Chaos. In his book, Ruelle argues that even the smallest changes within the structure of turbulence can cascade into far-reaching transformations. Inspired by this idea, the project examines the impact of natural elements such as wind and water. The fragile, evolving nature of these works—constantly susceptible to change—embodies the very essence of turbulence.
Ivy
2018
Fine art prints on aluminium, ivy, glass jar and water
50x31,5 48x27,5 and 36x46 cm
The Ivy, originating from the artist’s home, intertwines with three cropped fragments of a black-and-white family photo, creating a visual connection between the past and present. The ivy’s resilient, climbing nature links these fragmented images—spanning three decades—while symbolizing the cycles of life and death. The work reflects on the transposition of womanhood and tradition within the family, highlighting nature’s power to regenerate. Unlike traditional ivy that grows in soil, these roots are submerged in water, yet the ivy remains vibrant and alive. This transformation mirrors the evolving experience of womanhood across generations—one that adapts to new circumstances, disconnected from the land, and increasingly mobile in today’s world.
Feet
2018
Styrofoam, glass container and water
The life-sized feet of the artist, carved from styrofoam, float gracefully on water inside a glass jar. Their lightness prevents them from sinking, symbolizing resilience and the ability to endure. This humble sculpture embodies a quiet miracle—the act of rising above when it feels impossible to align with life’s natural rhythm.
Forough
2018
Dijital Print on tracing paper, fans
Dimensions variable
Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/298958875
Forough consists of hundreds of photographs of taxidermied birds from the collection of the Natural History Museum at St. Joseph French High School in Istanbul. The collection was initiated by the Frères towards the end of the 19th century in what was then the Ottoman Empire capital, Istanbul, with the goal of documenting the region’s natural resources. It continued to grow until the 1960s, expanding to include Anatolian animals. The portraits of these preserved birds are captured and decoupaged onto tracing paper, while two industrial fans create an artificial wind, making the images flutter without ever leaving their surface. This movement creates a sound reminiscent of wings in flight, mirroring the fluid motion of murmurations.
Forough is a flying archive, embodying individual lives that have been constrained, deprived of freedom, or lost—reduced to nothing more than a single photograph. The title of the work pays homage to the Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad and her poignant line: “Keep the flight in mind, the bird may die.”
The Eraser
2018
Sound Design: Yalın Özgencil
Styrofoam, silicone, antenna and recorded sound
85x32x20 cm
The sound of the eraser:
The Eraser with an antenna is a machine that simultaneously attempts to forget and remember. It serves as both a portrait of Georges Perec and an auto-portrait of the artist herself. Perec, a survivor of the Second World War, faced profound loss during the conflict. In his writing, he explored his life without directly confronting the painful memories. In W, or the Memory of Childhood, Perec reflects on the limited memories he has of his early years, interwoven with the imaginary, dystopian world of "W" that he conjured as a child.
An eraser, by its nature, is depleted as it erases, and this work explores forgetting as a coping mechanism for trauma. In the form of a familiar Pelikan eraser, a common object from the 1980s and early 90s, the piece emits a sound that searches for the right frequency—an audible signal seeking connection, discovery, reunion, and resolution.
Astronomical Movements
2019
26’ creative documentary film
Astronomical Movements is a creative documentary that delves into the workings of the universe.
Veli Altıntaş, a retired geography teacher from Denizli, a small city in Turkey, offers lessons on the cosmos at a high school level. His lectures, delivered from his living room, segue into the life of a family who wears planet masks on their faces. Their daily existence unfolds through a series of improvised scenes of ordinary events. Occasionally, external tensions and conflicts interrupt the family’s routine, yet life continues in its grand order.
The movements of the Earth, Moon, and Sun remain indifferent to the joys and sufferings of life on Earth. Astronomical Movements navigates through this profound contradiction.