March
Video Installation
March is a video installation based on the Independence Day March on May 29th, in the city of Istanbul. Every year, the Janissary Band, dressed in ancient Ottoman uniforms, marches out of the Military Museum, situated next to the old Ottoman War College, in a formal procession through the city to the beat of drums and pipes. The Janissary style of marching – two steps forward, one step backward – inspired me to explore questions of the city’s shifting identity between a glorified, Eastern past and commercialized, Western present. The back-and-forth marching reflects the fortunes of the city, which has recovered and progressed after every setback in its long, vibrant history.
A Turkish man wears the Janissary uniform, but instead of the military boots he wears rubber boots with a “modified” Turkish flag: the crescent is replaced with the Nike “swoosh” logo. He marches: two steps forward, one step back.
Details:
Country of Production: Turkey
Duration: 00’04’00 min. (Loop)
Aspect ratio: 4:3
Original format: Mini DV
Screening format: DVD - all
