My project for the 3rd International Çanakkale Biennial, Heroes of the Dardanelles, derives its inspiration from a local hero, Seyit Çabuk, better known as Corporal Seyit. This regular soldier with a modest background is said to have carried bombshells weighing 275 kilograms on his back to an artillery piece, on March 18th 1915 as the allied forces were attacking the Dardanelles, in one of the First World War’s most renowned battles. Several statues of him carrying a bombshell on his back, with one foot on a step, now stand in Çanakkale.
I proposed to interpret these statues with people of Çanakkale from every age group, ethnicity and life background. Participants were photographed in Corporal Seyit’s well known pose. But each one carried a different object, representing the “load of their life”. The objects were related to work, social or family background, or metaphorical, and always related to the question, “What is the burden you carry in your life?”
Some examples of answers :
“I carry my family with this job for 35 years.” (Cahit, tea seller)
“People are used to call me octopus as I am dealing with ten things at the same time.” (Bilge, dentist)
“My burden is solitude in my quest for enlightment.” (Tolga, engineer and musician)
“The needs are very heavy to carry but the salary is not enough to survive.” (Halil, cartoonist)
“My conscience and my responsability toward the world.” (Aynur, newspaper editor)
“I have so many questions about my future, they are like a huge question mark on my shoulders.” (Helin, secondary school pupil)
The project was carried out between 22 and 27 of September 2012 and these 14 chosen photographs give an idea of what could be a portrait of Çanakkale and its people; an ode to their everyday bravery, making them “heroes” of their own kind.
Some photos were printed in large, and all published by the local newspaper Olay, accompanied by their text.
Many thanks to Seyhan Boztepe, Beral Madra, Deniz Erbaş, to Ezgi Arıduru and my assistant Adem Yavuz as well as all the Biennial team for their kind invitation and support; to Olay Newspaper for their contribution on the printing of the journal and Nebi Altıntaş, Reyhan Hoşnut, Muhammed Said Gürhan, Bilge Şimşek, Cahit Yontar, Tolga Atmaca, Olcay Tümer, Tuğba Aytekin, Erdoğan Zeybek, Serpil Vesek, Özay Sevinç, Halil Özçelik, Helin Boztepe, Aynur Ganiler for their participation, and to Hakan Kırdar as well as all the people of Çanakkale.
The series is shown in the exhibition Geld & Helden at MM Projects, Karlsruhe, 2014, together with Jason Karaïndros’ series Money, and in the exhibition Çanakkale Biennial : Coordinates 40°9′0″N-26°24′0″E at DEPO exhibition space, Istanbul, 2015.
It is again on display in 2024 at the CerModern, Ankara, Turkey, in the exhibition PAYLAŞILAN BELLEK / SHARED MEMORY, From Çanakkale Biennial’s Memory toward a Museum.