Halil Altindere

Multiple works

Homeland, Video installation, duration: 10 min 6 secs, 2016
Kofte Airlines, Photograph, 2016
Space Refugee, Multi-media installation, 2016

Halil Altindere collaborated with Syrian rapper and activist Abu Hajar for his Berlin Biennale (2016) video titled Homeland. The video work is closely linked to the wave of pro-democratic uprisings that erupted across Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring, and the violent response of the regimes that forced millions of civilians to flee their country. The world has witnessed the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. The video tracks the perilous journey of refugees to neighboring countries and to Europe in search of a new life through the song of Abu Hajar, a Syrian rapper and refugee himself, who is now based in Berlin. It explores the consequences of the migrant crisis by presenting images from both Turkey and Germany.

Blending realism and humor, Homeland incorporates scenes based on real- life footage. It opens with images of refugees crossing a border through an area peppered with landmines — and performing unusual feats to overcome fences. It is almost impossible to tell what is news footage and what is staged. The video includes scenes from a luxury yoga retreat, highlights the journey through Aegean Sea to Balkans, and gives references to the mythological stories such as Troy and Medusa.