TROPEZ
TROPEZ
0

Melike Kara
Flowery, 2025

TROPEZ

Wood, laser print on paper, gel medium, medium, silk, Kurdish scarves, clear synthetic resin varnish

5 x 175 x 33 cm

 

On the terrace, an elevated bench invites visitors of the outdoor pool to pause for a moment. Delicate layers shimmer through the varnished surface – cloths with floral-ornamental motifs and in between – like memories – photographs. The images come from the artist’s archive, which engages with the visual culture of the Kurdish diaspora. The term “Diaspora” (from the ancient Greek for “dispersion”) refers to communities who have been forced to leave their regions of origin and now live dispersed across different countries. The photographs collected by Kara preserve a part of this identity – one that continues to create a sense of connection despite geographic distance. Flowery is intended as a space where pool visitors can talk about what it means to belong in the world – and about the suffering that so many people still endure. 

About the artist


Melike Kara (she|her), born in 1985 in Bensberg (DE), lives and works in Cologne. In her practice, she deals with the themes of displacement, marginalization, and exclusion. At the core of her work is the desire to give voice to the unheard and the oppressed – especially the Kurdish diaspora. Kara’s work, including painting, sculpture, and photography, have been exhibited at institutions including the Schirn (Frankfurt, DE), the Kunsthalle Zürich (Zurich, CH), and the Yuz Museum Shanghai (Shanghai, CN), among others.