Reflections on Movement: New Installations in Historical Dervish Sites of İstanbul

Abstract

This article analyzes the intersection of contemporary American art and historical Sufi dervish sites in Istanbul. The review explores his multimedia installations at the Kadirihane and Galata Mevlevihane Museum, two of the city's oldest dervish lodges. The paper argues that these site-specific projects reflect a form of pilgrimage and are deeply connected to the iconographies and shifting functions of the sacred spaces throughout their histories. Rollins contends that his work, which involves creating installations intimately bound to these sites, could not be replicated in the United States due to the unique context provided by the dervish lodges. The study examines the concept of pilgrimage versus tourism, drawing on the book 'Reframing Pilgrimage: Cultures in Motion' to distinguish between the two. The paper also discusses the impermanence of dervish architecture and how his installations are further layers in the ongoing process of reconstruction. The article demonstrates the significance of movement and sacralization in both Sufi tradition and contemporary art practices, highlighting the dynamic interplay between stasis and movement.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)