CHAPTER IV. ABANDONMENT.
ONGOING
When I moved to Cyprus, I could not help but notice a lot of abandoned houses. What initially seemed like economic neglect revealed itself as a consequence of the island’s division following the 1974 conflict.
The four-week war resulted in mass displacement on both sides. Across the island, many religious buildings remain abandoned. In the south, many houses had belonged to Turkish Cypriots who moved north; many are still empty, suspended between ownership claims and political uncertainty. In the north, much of the built environment left behind by Greek Cypriots was actively integrated into new everyday life. Yet one place resisted this transformation: Varosha. Once a popular seaside resort, it has remained a closed ghost city for decades.
The four-week war resulted in mass displacement on both sides. Across the island, many religious buildings remain abandoned. In the south, many houses had belonged to Turkish Cypriots who moved north; many are still empty, suspended between ownership claims and political uncertainty. In the north, much of the built environment left behind by Greek Cypriots was actively integrated into new everyday life. Yet one place resisted this transformation: Varosha. Once a popular seaside resort, it has remained a closed ghost city for decades.
I traced these sites, returning repeatedly to places that drew my attention.
“Borderlands” began as a fellowship assignment in Italy, where I was invited to go to Gorizia and Nova Gorica, the two towns that were jointly named the European Capital of Culture in 2025. My goal was to explore what was happening in the region where the slogan “go borderless” was circulating at that time. I found out that the area seemed borderless for some, but far not for everyone.
What began as an assigned topic gradually unfolded into a personal investigation. The project is ongoing, with new chapters exploring places I have lived in. Each unfolds within a different geographical context, capturing a distinct stage or dimension of the border. The methodology shifts from place to place, incorporating elements of drawing, investigation, performance, and self-portraiture. In Cyprus, I adopted an approach of searching, mapping, and examining space, as I believe the quiet emptiness there speaks louder than words. This chapter becomes Chapter IV, devoted to the stage of abandonment.
“Borderlands” began as a fellowship assignment in Italy, where I was invited to go to Gorizia and Nova Gorica, the two towns that were jointly named the European Capital of Culture in 2025. My goal was to explore what was happening in the region where the slogan “go borderless” was circulating at that time. I found out that the area seemed borderless for some, but far not for everyone.
What began as an assigned topic gradually unfolded into a personal investigation. The project is ongoing, with new chapters exploring places I have lived in. Each unfolds within a different geographical context, capturing a distinct stage or dimension of the border. The methodology shifts from place to place, incorporating elements of drawing, investigation, performance, and self-portraiture. In Cyprus, I adopted an approach of searching, mapping, and examining space, as I believe the quiet emptiness there speaks louder than words. This chapter becomes Chapter IV, devoted to the stage of abandonment.
BORDERLANDS
2026
