A ballet dancer in a grey coat and pointe shoes stands still amidst a bustling urban street scene in black and white.

In Haste

The Watching Body as Spectacle

Exhibitions: Pinelo Art Gallery, Istanbul (2014) · Abraham Gumbel Saal, Heilbronn (2019)

Ayaküstü (In Haste) was photographed over four years across Istanbul. Ballerinas appear without warning in the metro, on ferries, in the backstreets of Galata, and along İstiklal Avenue in Taksim. Ballet, a Western performing art usually kept inside formal stages, meets the daily rush of the street. City and stage, passerby and spectator overlap.

A theatre tells its audience where to look and when: the lights go down, the curtain rises, and attention is agreed in advance. The street gives no instruction. Each passerby decides alone, in a second or two, whether to stop or keep walking, and that private decision is what the camera records.

Once the street becomes the stage, the roles inside the frame reverse. The public becomes the true performer of the image. Astonishment, curiosity, hesitation, and nonchalance cross the faces and postures of the Istanbul crowd as they witness the dancers. Set against historic neighbourhoods and transit hubs, the dancers' composure creates a sharp distance from the street. The watching body turns into the spectacle itself while the crowd around it keeps the pace of the city.

Carriages, piers, and platforms are built for passing through. People share them for a few minutes and have learned not to look at one another. A ballerina standing at a turnstile or on a ferry deck breaks that quiet agreement. The dance holds the gesture for a few seconds; the photograph measures how long the city looks back before moving on.

The project was featured in the Turkish daily Radikal under the headline "Kentte bale zarafeti" ("Ballet's grace in the city").

80 × 120 cm · Edition of 5 + 1 AP · Archival pigment print (giclée) In Haste, Heilbronn, 2019 Radikal newspaper feature 'Kentte bale zarafeti' on In Haste
A ballet dancer in a grey coat and pointe shoes stands still amidst a bustling urban street scene in black and white.
A dancer in a patterned dress performs a pose in front of an ornate stone wall, while two seated figures watch in a black-and-white scene.
Crowds gather on stone steps outside a mosque, featuring a woman juggling in motion, set against a black-and-white backdrop.
A dancer strikes a pose in a historic corridor, surrounded by onlookers. The scene is captured in striking black and white tones.
A monochrome scene in an archway captures a poised woman in a sleek black dress and ballet shoes, surrounded by casually dressed men.
A dancer in a flowing dress poses gracefully in a bustling market, surrounded by people and street vendors, captured in black and white.
A bustling street scene in black and white, featuring a mix of people including a standing woman in heels, diverse pedestrians, and graffiti-covered storefronts.
A dancer in a flowing top performs a high kick down a narrow alley, surrounded by seated patrons and twinkling lights, in black and white.
A dancer in a floral dress poses gracefully on one leg under sunlight, while seated people watch in a bustling urban setting.
A silhouette of a dancer stretches against a wall, surrounded by a lively street scene in black and white, featuring pedestrians and a food cart.
Monochrome scene of a spacious, ornate interior with people in motion; a dancer's leg peeks from behind a marble column.
Fishermen casting rods from a bridge adorned with a patterned railing, below signs advertising fish and bread, captured in black and white.
Crowds gather on stone steps outside a mosque, featuring a woman juggling in motion, set against a black-and-white backdrop.
A woman performs a high leg stretch against a decorative column in a bustling market, surrounded by colorful textiles and shoppers.
A woman in a black dress with a high slit walks away, surrounded by a bustling crowd under bold striped awnings, in black and white.
A monochrome scene in an archway captures a poised woman in a sleek black dress and ballet shoes, surrounded by casually dressed men.
A dancer in a flowing dress gracefully poses in a bustling market, surrounded by colorful flags and various items for sale, captured in black and white.
A dancer in a flowing dress poses gracefully in a bustling market, surrounded by people and street vendors, captured in black and white.
A woman in a light dress and ballet shoes walks gracefully among a bustling crowd, captured in high contrast black and white.
A ballet dancer striking an expressive pose on a bustling street, with an elderly man seated nearby and pedestrians interacting in the background.
A bustling street scene in black and white, featuring a mix of people including a standing woman in heels, diverse pedestrians, and graffiti-covered storefronts.
A dancer in mid-pose stretches in a narrow street, surrounded by greenery, with onlookers and café seating in black and white.
A dancer in a floral dress poses gracefully on one leg under sunlight, while seated people watch in a bustling urban setting.
A person in a black outfit sips from a cup, seated in a café surrounded by patrons, with large black-and-white portraits on the wall.