BABEL SERIES is on view at MAMBO in Bogotá: In 1999, Paolo Colombo invited me to participate in the 6th Istanbul Biennial. It was a huge deal for a young artist. Paolo was the first curator to take a leap of faith and offer me the chance to show a multi-channel video installation. During a site visit to Istanbul a few months before the biennial opened, we agreed that the work would be installed in the magnificent subterranean Basilica Cistern (the 'Yerebatan Sarnıcı’) which was built in the 6th century by the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian. I remember being particularly fascinated by the Medusa heads carved into the bases of two columns in one corner of the cistern. Shortly before the biennial opened, the surroundings of Istanbul (particularly around the city of Ismit) were brutally hit by the catastrophic Gölcük Earthquake. The huge number of resulting deaths and injuries made it essential to reconsider the way that the biennial would take place. The curatorial team decided—after much consultation with local community in Istanbul—that the exhibition would go ahead. It was a subdued but warm gathering of people (many chose to stay away due to the circumstances). The gravity of the moment was deeply felt. Many visitors described Paolo’s poetic exhibition—‘The Passion and the Wave’—as a positive sign of life against a backdrop of tragedy and loss. And so my first multi-channel installation, titled ‘Babel Series’ (1999), met the world. As it would not have been appropriate to install a loud video installation in the public space of the cistern at a time of intense mourning, the work was hurriedly relocated to the very beautiful ‘Hagia Eirene,’ where it was shown alongside memorable works by Francis Alÿs, Janet Cardiff + George Bures Miller, Rosemarie Trockel and Pipiloti Rist, to mention a few. That week in Istanbul saw the beginning of many lasting friendships. 23 years later—after having been shown a good 30 times all over the world—the ‘Babel Series’ is on view in Bogotá for the first time: Exhibition: 'An Uncertain Pleasure’ Museum: MAMBO / Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá Closing: 5 Feb 2023 View: New Museum, NYC Photos: @mandellaphoto