Bahar 2017 conceived as the Istanbul Off-Site Project for Sharjah Biennial 13 is structured along its keyword ‘crops’ and followed the life-cycle of a seed.

Initiated through a series of research and conversations resulting in commissions with Istanbul-based thinkers and artists from various disciplines, the project has come to revolve around the theme of ‘seed dormancy’ and ‘sleep’ as they pertain to both our psychological states as well as institutional and cultural states. Over these interactions has also emerged a program of talks and film screenings which will serve as ground for thinking around the theme, prior to the opening in May.

Seed dormancy is described as an arrest of growth, a temporary halt, a state of rest, a period of waiting. It is when a seed remains inert when conditions of germination are unsuitable, or sometimes even when they appear suitable. This way seeds manage to disperse temporally (and possibly spatially) as they wait for their turn to awake. It is a vital mechanism that boosts probability of survival, and an emphasis on the crucial significance of timing. Inspired by the processes of seed dormancy, Bahar explores states of halt in our lives. Placing sleep, different stages and implications of sleep at the center of this exploration, Bahar wanders on states of awakening, readiness, as well as issues of latency as Bella Habip picks up in her talk or also the moments that transcend meaning itself that Matthew Gumpert brings up.

Work above by: Ülgen Semerci & Burcu Yağcıoğlu, In the Dark and Warmth, 2017. Image by: GorLab.