Ali Şentürk

Doorstep Dialogs, 2013, spray acrylic on doormat, variable dimensions

*Doorstep Dialogues* is based on the conversations that take place between the artist and her mother at the doorway as her mother sees her off each day, turning these exchanges into a daily ritual. This familiar form of brief conversation sometimes consists of wishes, prayers, and expressions of hope, and at other times of warnings, precautions, and reminders. Although these phrases often sound like ordinary remarks and well-wishes related to everyday life, they can also contain deep-seated fears. *Doorstep Dialogues* is a new reflection that records these exchanges in memory. When the artist recognized the striking character of doorstep conversations as an important part of Turkish culture, she decided to compile a list of them together with her mother. The installation functions as a kind of record made on the doormat, marking both the place where Şentürk stood as she listened to her mother’s words and the moment in which they were spoken.