A reading of British author Louis de Berniéres' novel 'Birds Without Wings' (2004), set in fin de siècle South Western Anatolia, during the grand era of Turkish nationalism, chronicling the realities of intolerance and rapid historical change against the background of the population exchanges between Greece and Turkey, was a major inspiration for Felekşan Onar to create the series 'Perched', addressing the contemporary realities of exile and migration in Turkey. The eponymous glass works, inspired by a book, sketch their own historical path across a timespan, and turn once again into a book. This monograph marks the most comprehensive publication to date on 'Perched’.

The result here is a multi-layered narrative, addressing from multiple vantage points a number of aesthetic and political issues, central to Onar's practice and her vision of 'Perched' as a timeless polyphonic dialogue, departing from traditional metaphors but ultimately anchored in the modern question of rights: mobility, shelter, refuge.  The discussions taking place in the book may be anchored around the contemporary plight of Syrian refugees in Turkey, notwithstanding, the artist is carving out for herself a discursive site between continuity and fragility, historical lines and parallels that often repeat themselves elsewhere too, addressing the complex global contemporary situation of borders.

 Newly commissioned essays serve as points of departure to engage with different aspects of Onar's practice in 'Perched'. Renowned author Louis de Berniéres contributes a mesmerizing short story for the publication on the topic of birds, and other contributors include: Prof. Dr. Stefan Weber, Mariam Rosser-Owen and Stefanie Bach, each proposing a particular reading of 'Perched' from corresponding exhibitions at the Pergamon Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Glass specialist Nadania Idriss sheds light on the role of art in fostering a culture of peace, and independent curator and writer Glenn Adamson speaks with Onar, during the times of pandemic, about her artistic practice.

 Published and distributed by Paul Holberton Publishing, designed y Studio PUL, project coordinator Yavuz Parlar, translation and proofreading by Dr. Sujatha Chandrasekaran, and photography by Dario J. Lagana. 1500 copies in English and 500 in German.