Baran Caginli- MFA Thesis Written Component

Abstract

My thesis project, Baking Books, is a performative, edible sculpture work based on the story of my family in the context of politics, exchanging knowledge, and sharing. The project’s elements are ceramic baking moulds, leaflets, and baked breads in the form of Lenin, Marx, and Rosa Luxemburg, which were shared among the visitors at the opening of the Kuvan Kevät master’s degree show, in Helsinki (6.5–4.6.2023). My supervisor has been Minna Henriksson and the examiners are Bassam El Baroni and Jaana Kokko. Baking Books was exhibited in the main gallery space Kuva/Tila. This project has been a discovery of the physical potential of the bread/ dough as a sculptural medium. In addition to the sculpture, the project culminated in a performative event: the sharing of the bread/sculptures among audience. The sculpture's edibility stimulated the viewers' senses, including their taste and smell, in addition to appreciating its shape and form. By accepting and tasting the offered bread, the audience became part of the performance, and the project established a different bond between the audience and itself. The story develops through the participation of viewers and makes the project inclusive. Although the main story in the project is based in 1980s Turkey and seems to be limiting the context, political figures who influenced politics and people's lives internationally, such as Lenin, Marx and Rosa Luxemburg, allow the audience to explore perspectives that they can relate to. To support the story written in the leaflets, I also exhibited ceramic moulds made of red clay. These pieces were on view on wooden tables specially designed and made for them. During the exhibition, the leaflets were placed next to the bread baked in the form of Karl Marx. The audience was encouraged to take a copy of the leaflet.