Cappadox 17: Escapism and Dystopia in Cappadocia's Lunar Landscape

The third edition of the Cappadox Festival of Contemporary Art, curated by Fulya Erdemci, takes place in the surreal landscape of Cappadocia, Turkey. Erdemci cites writer and artist Sami Baydar's phrase about a child knowing escape routes to define the festival's theme. Amidst Turkey's political crisis and the closure of five Istanbul galleries this spring, the festival offers an alternative space for imagination. Notable installations include Halil Altındere's 'Space Refugee,' an evolving project since 2016 that proposes a space colony for Syrian refugees and documents the story of Syrian astronaut Mohamed Ahmed Faris, who opposed Bashar al-Assad and fled to Istanbul in 2012. Mehmet Ali Uysal presents a paper airplane sculpture on a building and a boat atop a famous monument. Deniz Gül recreates the 'wings of desire' from Wim Wenders' film as a tile installation on grass. Nermin Er creates listening devices for wind and leaves. Yasam Sasmazer's wooden sculpture shows a human body decaying in a cave. The festival contrasts Turkish artists' dystopian realism with foreign artists' optimistic possibilities. Swiss artist Gregory Chapuisat uses troglodyte beehives to build a sculpture reminiscent of Charlotte Perriand's alpine structures. Mexican artist Héctor Zamora creates a stone labyrinth inspired by an ancient Turkish drawing, symbolizing Turkey's and Mexico's situations without shortcuts.