Cem Sonel and Ramazan Can

The 2024 collaborative installation As If It’s Not Your Home by Ramazan Can and Cem Sonel explores memory, belonging, and the fluidity of time at the intersection of tradition and modernity. Crafted with woven carpet, an HD-D35 controller, a P10 LED panel, and computer code, this work (8.5 x 144 x 320 cm) delves into the layers of collective memory and the dislocating effects of the contemporary world. By merging the tangible heritage of the past with the digital pulse of the future, it creates a timeless dialogue.

The conceptual foundation of the piece centers on reimagining the notion of home, both physically and emotionally. Ramazan Can’s woven carpet, inspired by the geometric motifs of Yörük culture, embodies the tangible legacy of the past and the familiarity of “home.” Its rhythmic patterns symbolize the permanence of cultural memory and the deep roots of belonging. In contrast, Cem Sonel’s P10 LED panel, driven by computer code and controlled by an HD-D35 controller, reflects the transient and fluid nature of the digital age. The pixelated surface of the LED panel reveals the shifting reality of the modern world, suggesting that home transforms from a fixed refuge into a sense of estrangement.

The title, As If It’s Not Your Home, points to the transience of nomadic life and the questioning of belonging. The tactile presence of the carpet juxtaposed with the cold glow of the LED panel highlights the tension between home and displacement. This contrast invites viewers to reflect on the modern world’s dislocating, ever-changing nature. The geometric order of the carpet and the algorithmic structure of the LED panel converge in a mathematical aesthetic, demonstrating the shared language of tradition and technology. Memory, in this context, is presented as both fixed and fluid: the carpet embodies the rooted stability of memories, while the LED illustrates their reshaping in the digital era.

The expansive scale of the work offers an immersive experience. Spanning 144 x 320 cm, the piece lies on the floor as both a physical and conceptual space. Viewers are drawn to question their own sense of belonging and memory, navigating a journey between the traces of the past and the possibilities of the future. As If It’s Not Your Home is not merely an installation but a reflective space that prompts a reconsideration of what home means and how it evolves.