Lost Alphabet

Introduction 

I recently visited the Lost Alphabet exhibition at Art Istanbul: Feshane. The exhibition focused on themes of loss, displacement, and identity. It showcased different types of art that made me think about how people and things can be forgotten or lost. As I walked through the exhibition, I found myself thinking deeply about these ideas. While many of the pieces made me feel different emotions, one piece, in particular, stood out to me. 

Overall Reflection on the Theme 

The Lost Alphabet exhibition explored the idea of loss—whether it’s people, objects, or memories. There were many different types of artwork, some colorful and bright, while others were dark and burnt. The bright pieces gave me a sense of hope and joy, but the darker ones made me feel sadness or despair. The contrast between these different pieces seemed to show the two sides of life—joy and pain—and how both can exist together. 

One piece that caught my attention was a large installation of a ship with bags hanging from the ceiling. The ship was full of bags, reaching all the way to the top, which made me feel overwhelmed by the sight. It was clear that this piece was meant to symbolize people who have been displaced or forgotten. The bags seemed like they were left behind, possibly lost at sea, which made me think about the lives of people who are lost or displaced. 

Focus on Single Work: The Ship with Bags 

The ship with bags was the piece that really grabbed my attention. There was no explanation or description next to it, which made me think more about it on my own. The size of the ship and the way the bags hung from the ceiling made me feel like I was looking at something important. It made me think about the idea of loss and what happens when things are left behind. The bags seemed to represent the belongings of people who were lost or displaced. 

As I got closer, I started to notice more details. The bags looked like they were abandoned, maybe after some kind of disaster. I thought about how these bags could be the belongings of people who no longer had a place to call home. The work made me think about the millions of people around the world who have been forced to leave their homes, whether due to war or other reasons. 

While I was standing there, I began to hear a cat meowing. At first, I didn’t know where it was coming from. The sound was loud and repetitive, and I started to wonder if the cat was trapped somewhere. I became so focused on the sound that I didn’t notice the other visitors around me. I asked myself, why isn’t anyone else worried about it? Why wasn’t anyone else asking if the cat was in pain? 

An elderly woman sitting nearby saw that I was concerned and told me, “Don’t worry, it’s just an artificial sound.” I was relieved for a moment, but when the sound came again, I realized how much it had affected me. I kept looking for the cat, even though I knew it wasn’t real. It made me think about how, in real life, we sometimes ignore suffering. We often hear about things happening in other parts of the world, but we don’t always do anything about it. The cat’s meowing, though fake, made me think about how we can easily ignore the pain of others, especially when it’s far away or not directly in front of us. 

As I continued to walk around the ship, I thought I saw the cat again. I know it sounds strange, but it was as though the experience had tricked me into believing that the cat was real. The blurring of what was real and what wasn’t made me feel disoriented. It was as if the artwork was challenging me to confront my own feelings about suffering and indifference. 

Conclusion 

The Lost Alphabet exhibition was a powerful experience that made me think deeply about the themes of loss and displacement. The ship with bags was the piece that stood out the most. Its size and the meaning behind it made me reflect on the lives of people who have been forced to leave everything behind. The addition of the artificial cat sound made me realize how easily we ignore suffering, even when it’s in front of us. The exhibition reminded me that loss is not just an abstract concept, but something real that affects people every day. It also showed me that art has the power to make us think critically about how we respond to the world around us.