Hera Büyüktaşçıyan

The Invisibles – Box, 2013, Ahşap, video, 150 x 45 x 23 cm

‘‘See no evil,Hear no evil, Speak no evil’’

The conspriacy of silence is often represented in the form of three monkeys who see no evil,hear no evil and speak no evil. The well-konown image of this traditional Japanese simian trio perfectly embodies the symbolic relations between being blind, deaf and mute. The fact that its members are always presented together seems to point to social systems such as families,organizations ,all means of communities as the natural context for questioning the conspiracies of silence. Silence is the public form of denial which is the creation of both individual as well as public efforts. It is somehow witnessing a joint effort to essentially co-ignore things. We often associate denial with blindness,which indicates the state of being out of sight by also being out of mind. The image of  ‘turning into a deaf ear’ as well as the way we sometimes cover our ears as if to block certain information or negativity from entering our awareness. And the ritual of covering one’s mouth (or biting one’s tongue) after saying something one shouldn’t, seems to point at the simplest way not to acknowledge something of which we are aware that its better to remain silent.

On the other hand ,as a form of denial silence helps to avoid pain and anything negative which will cause ultimate sorrow. In this sense the reason for the need to remain silent is because of the good intent which is misused within the practial life as well as the political,religious,social and cultural level throughout history. It is the destructive effect of evil forces or circumstances which draws each individual to get into the shell of silence and often leads to an introvertion which no more wants to let any  negative or distressfull threat enter  its consciousness in any means. From history uptil the contemporary times, humans are forced to deny many realities or uncomfortable truths which may also harm their  own existance in many different ways. This may also lead to both being definitely aware of eachone’s existance/being yet denying the presence of the other as a common cultural representation of the conspriacies of silence.

At this point ‘‘The Invisibles ‘‘ depticts of the notion of silent witnessing by  the higher self /or the higher being who is also forced to deny seeing,hearing or speaking of things which has profaned her good intent . Although the unacceptable  truth of destruction is visible with all its reality , the icon prefers to remain invisibly silent.