This project was conceived to draw attention to the fault lines in Turkey and the reality of earthquakes. It was designed as a route involving mural works on large building facades in cities located along active fault lines in different regions of Turkey.
The main idea of the project was quite clear: an earthquake is not only a moment of disaster, but also a reality that must be continuously remembered. For this reason, I wanted to both draw attention to and make this issue visible through murals created in public spaces in cities located along fault lines. Each work produced in a different city would have a narrative referring to that place’s seismic history and geography.
A route was planned for this project, and walls that could be used in different cities were researched. However, since the necessary institutional and financial support could not be secured, the project could not move into the implementation phase. As a result, the work remained at the conceptual stage, and the planned mural route could not be realized.
After the major earthquakes that occurred later, and especially following the earthquake disaster centered in Hatay, the idea for the project began to be reconsidered. However, this time as well, it was not possible to find suitable walls or to carry out new works in public spaces in many of the cities originally included in the project.
For this reason, the “Fault Line” project is among the unrealized projects. Nevertheless, the idea behind it still remains valid. Because the reality of earthquakes in Turkey is still a significant part of life, and there is still a need to make this issue visible in public space.
About seven years ago, I began working on the idea of buying a caravan and traveling across Turkey from village to village, town to town, painting village schools and public squares. The starting point of this idea was quite simple: I believed that art could be visible not only in city centers, but even in the smallest settlements. A painting made in a village square or a drawing left on the wall of a village school could leave a small yet lasting mark on the children and people living there.
I didn’t want to leave this idea as just a dream. In order to bring the project to life, Roadrow I launched an initiative under this name. I prepared project proposals, applied to institutions, sought sponsorships, and tried to secure support for this idea. For about two years, I worked to grow Roadrow, to present the project, and to find backing for it. However, I was unable to secure the support I had hoped for.
Right after this process, the pandemic began. Then the economic crisis across the country deepened, and these conditions made it even more difficult to realize the project.
After a while, I asked myself the following question: Do I really need a caravan to carry out this project? That question, in fact, changed the direction of the project. I set aside the idea of the caravan and decided to set out with my own small vehicle instead. Without a sponsor, without any institutional support, I began traveling to villages with my own means.
During this process, I painted 33 village squares and 48 village schools. These works were carried out entirely through individual effort, without any sponsorship or institutional support. In short, I was the sole sponsor of this project.
Today, Roadrow is not an actively ongoing project. The main reason for this is not only economic conditions. To be honest, I believe that a person should not have to make such great sacrifices to spend their life painting their country, its streets, and its villages. For projects like this to be sustainable, institutions, companies, or public bodies need to provide support.
Unfortunately, finding support was often more difficult than I expected. Over time, the process turned into not only producing work, but constantly struggling. For this reason, Roadrow is not actively continuing today.
However, this project left behind an important experience. It showed how much a single artist can accomplish by setting out with their own means. And most importantly, it proved that producing art in villages and small settlements is possible.
