Selma Gültoprak

Pigment print, Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 61.5 x 82.2 cm

Sandhill & Deserter deals with the theme of settlement, it forms itself as a mound of sand among the roundabout traffic, like a miniature landscape of a desert-like hill. On the one hand it appears to be a mound of sand, like you would find it on a building site, that has, in a bizarre scene, settled itself in the middle of a roundabout. On the other hand the sand hill has become itself, in the context of its environment, a deserter.
Nowadays sand is a component of many everyday products and is a rapidly decreasing resource. The highest demand of sand is due to the worldwide building boom of houses and streets, which in turn is causing a new ecological crisis. By digging the sand from river and ocean beds the sand reserves are diminishing fast. Our landscape is perforated by quarry ponds and is being annulled through the action of digging. Sand from the desert can not be used in the concrete industry - so the heap is left.