THE KINGDOM, conceived as a multi-phase artistic research project, takes as its starting point the ancient site of Perre in the former Kingdom of Commagene (southeastern Turkey), which was explored during a two-week artist residency. The remarkable historical and scenic setting provided the foundation for an in-depth investigation into how landscape and material traces can be translated and transformed into artistic images and objects. The project’s working process followed a sequential development: moving from photographic documentation of the site (THE KINGDOM I), to sculptural photo objects (THE KINGDOM II), and ultimately to renewed artistic reflection (THE KINGDOM III). This resulted in a distinct field of experimentation between representation, structure, space, and memory.

In this second phase, panoramic photographs of rock formations, archaeological relics, and landscape motifs captured at Perre were transferred to large-format sheets of paper and fabric. In the studio, these prints were folded, shaped, and developed into independent photo objects (series “body 01–05”). This transition from two-dimensional image to three-dimensional sculpture enabled new tactile experiences: the photographed landscape became tangible as an object; structure and surface were transformed, casting new shadows and offering alternative perspectives on Perre’s historical substance. This part of the project combined approaches from artistic research with methods from sculpture and experimental photography. The resulting unique works bring together documentation, materiality, process, and transformation—building a bridge between photography and sculpture and serving as sites of artistic renewal. Across the completed working process, the acts of collecting and transforming provided the foundation for ongoing redefinitions of space, material, and image within the overall project.