NEW: Lay of the Land, 2025

Frank van der Salm, Lay of the Land, 2025
248 × 140 cm, including 5cm white border, white wooden frame, museumglass

In May 2025 I was commissioned to travel to the secluded mountain ranges in Dersim (now Tunceli) in Türkye, homeland of the (Kurdish) Alevi community. Spring had arrived, contrasting with the memories and reminders of polarization and conflict for centuries. Both historical and personal contexts were at the core of creating a new piece.

What surfaced was the realisation that Dersim consists of two, not one, landscapes. It’s both facts on the ground AND the beliefs of the Alevi people. The extremes of official Turkish politics, the historical tragedies, but also its economic prospects and Alevi traditions and spirituality, has made this project a fascinating challenge. Depending on who you are, either one or both realities can be experienced. This way, photography can be the mediator between the two, reflecting on what is true and what is not.

On november 3, 2025 this new photowork has been handed to it’s rightful owner.

More information on this project can be found here.