The Mass Hysteria of Cappadocian People
by Çağrı Ertem
portfolio shortlisted call 'Urbanautica Institute Awards 2023', 2023
Category: Anthropology and Territories
Cappadocia with a history of ten thousand years has more than 30 underground cities under its cone shaped phantasmic rocks. People in ancient times used the caves and built cities to be protected from external threats. They escaped to survive with fear of death, hid in and dug the dark holes. By acting collectively, they were experiencing a shared anxiety. I traveled through this vast tectonic region in order to re-experience the mass hysteria and to understand the fears of the ancient people. I tried to re-present what it is like to hide in a dark hole, underground.
also from Urbanautica Institute Awards 2023