The concept for this project approaches the themes of transmigration and explores the disparate reasons behind it; whether it be forced displacement in communities witnessing an uprising of gentrification or fleeing places of conflict; or simply in search of new opportunity, be it financial or self-expression.

The series approaches an abstract perspective on resettlement by mixing documentaries with staged installations. These installations display a collection of objects symbolic of one’s life and journey. With objects used from sites of desertion, we analyse how the individual lived, and how a lifetime of accumulation is forced to be relinquished in their quest for a new life. The different modes of transportation are a common theme throughout the series, either by traversing on water or by motorcycle, it illustrates how people physically carry their lives, their families, as well as their memories through their passage.

They represent the struggles of all people in search of a better life.” The documentary element is inspired by a mix of observations personal stories and travels from Olgaç’s own explorations. Visiting over  50 countries, Olgaç documented his observations from places with complex histories, focusing more on the Middle East, Asia and Cyprus, a country still divided in the European Union. Olgaç had no prior knowledge of English when he transplanted from Turkey to the United Kingdom in 2009. Upon returning to his home country for a year in 2018 (that same year this project began), he was forced to question why he and others like him feel compelled to move from one place to another. In collaboration with Nigerian-born art director Raphael Hirsch, the two met shortly after arriving in the UK, the duo bonded over their similar stories of uprooting their lives and their common struggles, and thus built the concept of HOME together.

“Leaving One For Another” published by VOID, September 2022

24 x 29,4 cm

88 Pages

Softcover with Silkscreened Vinyl oversleeve

ISBN 978-618-5479-23-7

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