"Dream Gigs Illustrated”
Dream Gigs Illustrated is a series of gig posters. Imaginary gigs that never happened, missed gigs because of time and place, gigs that are experienced first hand and have left their mark…
This was Nick Cave’s reply when he was called for boycott before his 2017 Israel gig. I felt a strong bond with his music and admired him for his stance against injustice. I found his unwillingness to shadow his art with social responsibilities confusing. For me, performing in Israel was just as a political decision as not performing there.
A year later, I had the chance to see him live for the first time in Istanbul, where I live. The show was an amazing experience that had a huge impact on me for months. A couple weeks later, I read that Said Al-Mishal (one of the biggest remaining cultural centers of Gaza) was bombed to ruins by Israeli army. As I was still under the spell of his Istanbul concert, this reminded me of Nick Cave’s words about those who silenced musicians. Apart from the inexpressible massacre and injustice that has been taking place in Gaza for years, there was also a cultural destruction.
It’s a fact that many different communities in different parts of the world have been suffering from continuous, systematic cultural genocide year in and year out. This cultural genocide is carried out in silence and subtlety against Aborigens in Australia, Nick Cave’s hometown. As for Gaza, it is carried out with violence and blood against Palestinians. Under the reign of universal apathy, every day musicians are silenced, pianos get smashed, cultural venues are destroyed, artists are killed or suppressed.
Thinking about all these, I found myself dreaming about this gig that would complete Nick Cave’s words. I wanted him to perform at this auditorium, on August 9th 2018, the same day it was destroyed, against everyone who silences musicians and art… and I made this poster.
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