About the artwork

“When I first visited, I was struck by the rice paddies that went on and on beyond words, and the homes that had been damaged by the earthquake. I heard about the winters, when the snow piled up and one had no choice but to stay quietly at home. I learned of the importance of the rice farming and of time. Upon returning to Turkey, I thought about it many times, and decided to make the theme of my work “staying at home,” or in other words, to create a work where things that were changed by the earthquake, such as objects that had fallen or been destroyed, could be displayed as they were. The wooden corridor would guide visitors through every room in the house. And perhaps it would lead visitors to a further question: “What happened?” (Ayse Erkmen)