Chapter 7. I Only Read About Myself on Bathroom Walls and “On Behalf Of: I am an Ottoman but in Name Only”, Queer Contemporary Art of Southwest Asia and North Africa, Critical Studies in Architecture of the Middle East, Intellect Ltd, Oct 24
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Resilience and Liberation through Art: Art as a tool for Social Change, Conference on Gender and International Affairs, The Fletcher School, Tufts University, Boston, MA Nov 21–22, 24
This series of interconnected text “On Behalf Of: I am an Ottoman but in Name Only” with projects—Flag/Glossary of Dehumanization to Erase: Resilience and Liberation through Art, Die Magischen Hände: How to Make Apolitical, Non-Political, or Un-Political Work?, Parades, and I Only Read About Myself on Bathroom Walls, draws deeply on the framework of Queer Aesthetics, Opacity, Relationality. Together, they examine the intersections of identity, resilience, and the politics of visibility. Through exhibitions, performances, and dialogues.
By employing queer aesthetics, these projects challenge normative narratives, reclaim dehumanizing language, and reimagine public spaces as arenas for protest and belonging. Through opacity as a strategy, the works resist the demand for full legibility of queer and diasporic identities, emphasizing relationality as a means of fostering solidarity and shared resistance. Collectively, the series underscores art’s transformative potential in exposing silences, confronting societal erasure, and advocating for liberation, inclusivity, and the celebration of intersectional identities in both public and private spaces.
