Unlock
Unlock wishes, unlock dreams, unlock promises for a healing planet.
Cloth, wood, and needlework, fabric remnants, embroidery, fiber, wood
2023
Atakan abstracted a tree from a Turkish miniature painting and took two symbols from popular culture, the wishing tree (dilek ağacı) and a type of bundle used to store cloth goods, to create a tree of hope. Traditionally, people would hang pieces of cloth onto the trees before making a tree, but Atakan has replaced cloth with delicately embroidered keys. The artist believes that respect for plants may unlock secrets for attaining a more sustainable lifestyle. Listening to the silent language of wise old trees that carry memories of the past as well as knowledge about communicating and networking may partially help lift us out of the present environmental disaster.