kommagene biennale.
Adiyaman, Türkiye
August – November 2024
Work Title: Hands of Many
Chrisél Attewell, 2024. Hands of Many, collaborative installation on Nemrut Mountain. Image by Gergely Ernö Endre.
Theme of the 2nd Kommagene Biennale: Rising
Curator: István Erőss, artist, rector of the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts
The region of the Euphrates is considered to be the cradle of human civilization. Throughout the millennia, a variety of cultures have left their mark on this part of Türkiye, where monuments of the Assyrian, Persian, Commagene, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and many other kingdoms and empires stand side by side (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987). The area around the city of Kahta includes the burial sites of Mount Nemrut and Karakush, the Severan Bridge – the world’s second-largest surviving Roman bridge –, the Kâhta Castle, or the formidable engineering feat of the 20th century: the Atatürk Dam on the Euphrates.
In February 2023, this vibrant cultural and historical region was hit by a massive earthquake, claiming many lives and causing enormous damage to the built environment.
View after the earthquake in February 2023. Images from the Kommagene Biennale website.
Nemrut Mountain, image from the Kommagene Biennale website.
Work in Progress
Hands of Many
In the wake of disaster, human hands are the first line of response. When structures crumble, these hands search through rubble, offering rescue and relief, and clearing the way for recovery. “Hands of Many” is a space for sharing and healing, created in collaboration with the community of Adiyaman.
Visitors are invited to choose a stone from ancient Mount Nemrut and suspend it from the circular structure. Like adding a ribbon to a wishing tree, the floating stone symbolizes hope and possibility. Within this space of swaying stones, strings trace the horizon into the sky. Guests are encouraged to interact with the space in any way they wish, whether to laugh, mourn, pray, or play.
Images courtesy of:
Kopacz Kund
Gergely Ernö Endre
Kahtartt
Chrisél Attewell