Watching: Off-White Tulips

Overview

Concentrating on James Baldwin's extended stays in Istanbul in 60's and 70's, the film explores the limits of an autobiography mostly relying on found materials such as Sedat Pakay's photography. Racism, transnational discourses, queer politics and appropriation art are also being investigated throughout the video-essay. Off-white Tulips is conceived as a fictional dialogue with James Baldwin that focuses on his prolonged stay in Istanbul. Found documents and re-signified objects are manipulated to layer Baldwin’s identity as a black gay author with the narrator’s personal history. The associative narrative extends with references to Turkish and American pop-icons, investigations into etymology and self-reflexive comments on visual representation towards a situated critique of racism.