Sultan Çoban's Autofictional Practice of Temporary Belongings
Sultan Çoban, a Kurdish artist residing between Northern Europe and Rome, engages in live art, audiovisual projects, text, and installations. She embodies a fictional persona sharing her name, employing irony to delve into themes of Kurdish identity, migration, and hyperfemininity. Notable works include 'Unveiling for a Play' (2024) and 'Zêr' (2023), where she showcased replicas of her mother’s jewelry. The exhibition presents items such as a floral curtain, a photograph of her mother, dried roses, a used lipstick, a train ticket, and a hotel pen, representing ephemeral possessions. Her performances incorporate Arabesk ballads, Kurdish love songs, and pop tunes. While at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome, she drew inspiration from the city's grandeur and Baroque aesthetics.
Key facts
- Sultan Çoban is a Kurdish artist based between Northern Europe and Rome.
- She performs a fictional character named Sultan Çoban.
- Her practice includes live art, audiovisual, text, and installation.
- Key works: 'Unveiling for a Play' (2024) and 'Zêr' (2023).
- For 'Zêr', she wore a replica of her mother's jewelry for two weeks before the opening.
- Exhibition objects include a floral curtain, photograph, dried rose, lipstick, train ticket, and hotel pen.
- Her performances incorporate Arabesk, Kurdish love songs, and pop music from a radio.
- She had a residency at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome.
- She describes Rome as inspiring her to sing again.
- Her hyperfemininity is contextualized within post-Berlusconian feminism.
Entities
Artists
- Sultan Çoban
Institutions
- Istituto Svizzero
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Northern Europe
- Kurdistan
- New York