_________
 
Adak, invited by Venice Biennale Artist, Gul Ilgaz, to participate in an international residency to an inland island on a lake in the middle of rural Turkey. Gul spent her childhood on this rural island and had the idea to turn the entire island into a contemporary art gallery and project space. The work had to be site specific and made during the residency. My work, Adak, is a prayer vessel set in an abandoned Roman grotto across from the Mosques. The grotto was full of trash. Over two weeks I gather cement, brick and purchased crystals and created an urn based upon the building I had seen in Istanbul. This urn or tomb is inscribed with prayers on the inside. Once finished I offered the community an opportunity to write prayers and to put them in the urn before I sealed it. I had women in full hijab helping me build this and give me prayers. Without my asking, the community erected a gate in front of the urn to protect it. It was very much accepted by the community and was completed on 9/11.