Ugly Birds

Collaboration with Sibel Kocabasi, Video, 2016

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Bound so close that one cannot see the world, or separated by boundaries so near that one can only see oneself?  Both are ways for free creatures to become ugly birds.  By focusing so intensely on matters of conflict or by avoiding them altogether, we lose the balance that keeps us whole, both as individuals and as a society.  Our conflicts wrap us in a struggle to such a degree that we no longer see our colors and unique characteristics, leaving only the stark contrast of black and white.  Our retreat into carefully crafted borders that bring out those same characteristics blinds us to the things we have and hold in common.  How does one look in and see the heart of our identity?  How does one hear the songs we sing?  To do so might lead to surprising discoveries.