Elburuz Fidan’s PhD research explores two theoretical approaches to Archive and Memory: Sara Ahmed’s concept of “Queer Use” and Catherine Malabou’s theories on Cerebral Plasticity. The idea of Queer Use suggests that some archival materials may have alternative uses beyond their original intent, and may be part of a Queer Archive (Ahmed, 2019). On the other hand, Cerebral Plasticity highlights the impact of traumas on the cerebral system. In her terms “the new wounded” are the beings who suffer on certain loss of memory where the plasticity of the cerebral system does not function as it used to (Malabou, 2012). In these terms, the Archive can be wounded, through manipulations and plastic changes within the archival materials.
Elburuz Fidan’s residency focuses on exploring discarded fragments that still linger in the brain and form plastic changes, culminating in the video installation Rererere, which repurposes fragments of the research into visual and auditory components.
17.–30.04.23
Elburuz Fidan
Rererere… – Murmuring on discarded fragments
Fri 28.04.23, 20 h
Opening
Within the framework of Crystal Room
Artistic research residencies at GAK project space
In cooperation with the Binational PhD Program of HfK Bremen