Berlin-based mixed media artist Burak Erkil graduated from Bauhaus University back in 2017 as part of the Public Art and New Artistic Strategies MFA Program in Weimar. His thesis, I AM SORRY, I AM A DOG, explored the 1910 deportation and subsequent killing of approximately 80,000 stray dogs from Istanbul to Sivri (Oxia) Island by the late Ottoman Empire. This tragic event highlighted the push for Westernisation, influenced by Europe’s methods of dealing with stray dogs.
As an artistic expression of this history, Burak published an illustrated book featuring 80 dogs, representing the 80,000 lost lives in the Island. He tells us; “Through these illustrations, I aimed to give the silenced four-legged municipalities a voice and stated: ‘If they stop talking, so will I!'”
Today, Turkey faces renewed criticism over a proposed bill targeting stray animals, with controversial provisions allowing for their euthanasia. Reutilising his final project, Burak aims to respond to the campaign by collaborating with The Pets in Turkey; an organization dedicated to adopting stray dogs and fostering connections between Turkey and Europe. Profits from the sale of the publication will go towards the cause.
“Even if we can collect just a few bucks, it can help the organization in its efforts to rescue, care for, and find homes for stray dogs.”
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