The Pergamon Project, 1997/2007

A documentation of a research project in 2007, and a body of work from an installation, 1997.

After my first encountering with the reconstruction of the Zeus Altar at the Pergamon museum in Berlin, 1997, I returned 10 years later to the ancient city of Pergamon Acropolis in Turkey, 2007 to study the archeological site and the surrounding landscape. The impact of geological events, such as earthquakes and erosions as well as human interventions, wars, excavations, transports and relocations, embodies the Pergamons Altar’s journey and history. In contrast to and as a point of departure my own artistic journey of field studies, working processes and explorations I have found that my project  revolves around of displacement, diaspora and exile. I relate to the site and what is left of it as well as of the reconstruction in Berlin, as it is talking to me directly through multiple channels in stones, flesh and spirit. My own identity background, family heritage and history, as evidence, factors and as metaphysical thoughts and performances. In my later work from 2007 including,  The body remembers/My body remembers. I am going from black and white to color photography, using the archeological site as my theatrical and artistic backdrop.  In my early work from 1997 Gesamtgrundris, des Pergamon-Altars, an installation with a collection of photographs of my relatives living and working in Berlin together with my family album photos became my starting point. This work was first conceived and on display during my arts education at Konstfack, Stockholm Sweden. The installation consisted of a musical and vocal sound from Smyrna, recorded in 1920-1930.

The  monumental frieze is on display at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany, reconstructed in a scale of 1:1.


*This project was supported by the Swedische Botschaft in Berlin, GER (Sveriges Ambassad i Berlin) and Helge A:xon Johnson Foundation. 2007



Gesamtgrundris, des Pergamon-Altars, 1997/2007, 40x60cm
Photographs from family-albums, with personal writings on the back, from relatives living in Berlin/Germany, Belgrade/Serbia and Stockholm/SWE. Plexiglass and plan of The Pergamonaltar in the Pergamon museum in Berlin, Germany. exhibition view, 2007, @Tacheles Gallery, Berlin GER.


Detail of the Gesamtgrundris des Pergamon, ( To my dear sister Pandora with love and memory of your brother Kiril’)  1997/2007


Detail of the Gesamtgrundris des Pergamon, ( ’To my dear sister Pandora with love and memory of your brother Kiril’,  1975 (1997/2007) 


Entering the Zeus Altar, (The body remembers), Pergamon-Acropolis, Turkey, 150 BC.  


The body remembers, Zeus Altar, Zeus Altar, Pergamon-Acropolis, Turkey, 150 BC.  


Sound recording,  Zeus Altar, Pergamon-Acropolis, Turkey, 150 BC.  

The body remembersZeus Altar, Pergamon-Acropolis, Turkey, 150 BC.  


My body remembers, Pergamon-Acropolis, Turkey, 150 BC.  (2007/2020)


 My body remembers, Pergamon-Acropolis, Turkey, 150 BC.  (2007/2020)


Dreaming-session, Pergamon-Acropolis, Turkey, 150 BC.  (2007/2020)


Dreaming-session 2, Me and Zeus Altar, Pergamon-Acropolis, Turkey, 150 BC.  (2007/2020)


Performance situation on the steps of the reconstruction site in Berlin, Pergamonmuseum, Berlin, 2007