INTENTION
In November 2021, at the invitation of the French Institute of Turkey, Mathieu Forget — also known as Forgetmat — embarked on a sensory odyssey through five emblematic cities: Bodrum, Izmir, Ankara, Cappadocia, and Istanbul. Through movement, he sought to suspend time, choreograph space, and magnify the beauty of Turkey’s landscapes.
The body becomes a vessel for wonder — not animated for itself, but to reveal the grace of architecture, the majesty of a landscape, or the infinity of a horizon. His approach, blending dance, photography, performance, and visual aesthetics, transforms each location into a scene from a living painting, where time appears frozen in a poetic flow of movement.
A world where gravity seems like an illusion.
TÜRKIYE
TUZ GÖLÜ, ISTANBUL, ANKARA, IZMIR,
CAPPADOCIA, BODRUM, EPHESUS
INVITATION TO THE JOURNEY
Mathieu Forget’s artistic journey in Turkey unfolds in four chapters — a sensory exploration through image, movement, and places steeped in history.
Istanbul — Institut Français / Beyoğlu Kültür Yolu Festival
May 28 – July 28, 2022
The first stop, imagined as a poetic introduction: an invitation to discover Turkey through a unique artistic lens. On the walls of the Institut Français in Istanbul, the salt lakes of Anatolia become surreal landscapes. In levitation, Mathieu Forget’s body interacts with the natural scenery, revealing the light, architecture, and colors of the country through a suspended visual choreography.
Ankara — CerModern / SOLO Contemporary Dance Festival
August 27 – October 2, 2022
The second highlight of the journey takes place in one of Ankara’s most iconic contemporary art spaces. Photography and video come together in an immersive installation. Using QR codes, visitors can animate the images and experience an augmented reality where stillness transforms into motion — and the viewer becomes a dance partner.
Izmir — Institut Français
November 22, 2022 – March 31, 2023
In Izmir, the third stage of the journey, Forgetmat’s works continue their dialogue with French cultural institutions. Still floating, his body becomes a vessel for contemplation, within a space rich in memory and emotion.
Istanbul — Kethüda Hammam, Ortaköy
February 3 – 27, 2023
The final chapter of this Turkish journey takes place in a rare and historic setting: a restored Ottoman hammam. Forgetmat’s contemporary and dreamlike aesthetic resonates with the memory of the stone walls. Between past and present, body and architecture, a poetic tension emerges — a final invitation to reverie and elevation.
