Discernment, 2017
Solo Performance
Duration: 3 hours
Mamut Performances, Küçük Çiftlik Park, İstanbul

How much of my feelings and thoughts can I truly reveal within the confines of this body I find myself in? Can you perceive me as I perceive myself? Discernment delves into the complex interplay between our longing to be understood and feel liberated within our own selves, juxtaposed against our apprehension of being judged or misunderstood.

The performance unfolds on two distinct levels. Initially, the viewer or participant encounters Gizem Karakas, seated behind a table, meticulously transcribing her emotions into a notebook. Adjacent to the artist, on the right wall, two thought-provoking questions await the audience's response: "How do you perceive me?" and "How do I evoke feelings within you?" On the left, there is an inviting passage that grants access to the rear space. Upon venturing there, one is greeted by a live video projection of the artist's handwritten musings from her notebook. In this immersive experience, the viewer bears witness to Karakas' inner self-judgment, manifested through her periodic contemplation of three pivotal questions: "What do I truly feel?" "How do I appear?" and "What is expected of me?"