[Performance Art]

Istanbul, Turkey

Developed during the pandemic lockdowns, this performance explored confinement, freedom, and introspection. Using doors as metaphors for the barriers we face physically and mentally. Pars expressed the struggle of feeling trapped, yet finding liberation within that captivity, transforming the sense of isolation into a space for personal growth.

In life, there’s a strange feeling:


being stuck inside, unable to get out. It’s like being lost in a maze where your thoughts mix with the walls around you. As I worked on a project called “When the Doors Open,” I realized I was exploring what it means to feel trapped. 

During the lockdowns of 2020,

I discovered a paradoxical freedom within captivity. Locked doors became symbols of both restraint and liberation, inviting introspection into the nature of confinement and the boundaries of perception.

Each closed door,

a barrier to the outside world, became a threshold to inner realms of thought and imagination. In this liminal space, time flowed differently, echoing the stillness of solitude and the chaos of introspection.

We are often locked in by fear, doubt, and societal expectations, yet within these constraints lies the opportunity for growth and transformation.

Digital Magazine Project,
Istanbul, Turkey

This visual and performative series highlighted the resilience of Istanbul’s Gen Z and queer communities. It captured the raw emotions of a generation shaped by political and societal challenges. Pars’s performance reflected defiance, hope, and the struggle for authenticity in an oppressive environment, offering a kaleidoscopic narrative of survival and strength.

It is a photo series featuring two characters performing impromptu, situational expressions in front of the camera. 

This special project for a digital magazine captures the essence of Istanbul’s Gen Z, a generation that, despite facing immense trials, continues to shine brightly, advocating for a world where their identities and aspirations can flourish. 

In the heart of Istanbul, Gen Z stands resilient, navigating a world marred by relentless challenges. Born into a reality shaped by the pressures of authority, bombings, wars, violence, coup attempts, economic crises, and the specter of fascism, the act of criminalizing queers by oppressive forces and authority, this generation faces a unique crucible.

Despite these burdens, their spirits endure, illuminated by philosophical resilience. They have known loss, witnessed the erosion of familiar landscapes, and weathered storms that test the very fabric of their existence. Their indomitable will is a beacon of hope.

In the face of adversity, they channel their aspirations into performance art and other forms of expression, asserting their identities and resilience. From the shadows of trauma, a kaleidoscope of voices emerges, each telling a story of survival, strength, and determination to shape a future unburdened by the past.

This project also highlights the struggles of queer individuals in Istanbul, who face additional layers of adversity. They confront societal discrimination, threats to their safety, and the constant challenge of living authentically in a conservative environment. Their voices add a vital dimension to the narrative of resilience and hope.

one day, a flock of birds found a feather from the wing of the Simurgh. realizing the existence of Simurgh, all the birds decided to go to Simurgh’s abode to seek help. Simurgh’s nest was located at the peak of Mount Qaf. to reach there, they needed to overcome the seven valleys of yearning, love, knowledge, detachment, unity, wonder, and nothingness.





the birds started flying together. those with less desire and perseverance, those attached to worldly things, fell along the way. some birds plunged into the Sea of Love, some were lost in the Valley of Separation. the Nightingale remembered its love for the rose and returned. The Parrot used its beautiful feathers as an excuse (though it was because of its feathers that it would be put in a cage). the Eagle couldn’t leave its kingdom in the heights. the Owl missed its ruins, the Heron missed its swamp...


their numbers dwindled. in the Sixth Valley of “bewilderment” and the Seventh Valley of “nothingness”, all the birds lost hope. by the time they reached Mount Qaf, only thirty birds remained.





finally, words revealed the secret: In Persian, “si” means “thirty”, and “murg” means “bird”. the thirty birds were actually Simurgh. When they found the nest of Simurgh, they learned that “Simurgh” meant “Thirty Birds”. each one of them was a Simurgh. the thirty birds realized that the sultan they were searching for was themselves. the real journey was the journey to oneself.


Simurgh, after giving up waiting and experiencing bewilderment and annihilation, continued to fly.









humanity cannot escape living in its swamp, thicket, and cage unless it is willing to become a Simurgh by burning itself from its ashes.