Helal Olsun Sana Baldessari! / You Go Baldessari!, 2015
Video, 2’14’
Video link

Helal Olsun Sana Baldessari! / You Go Baldessari is a tribute to John Baldessari. In the video, Gizem Karakas films herself watching I Am Making Art (1971), attempting to mirror Baldessari’s gestures in real time.The work stages an imagined exchange: each time Baldessari states, “I am making art,” Karakas answers, “Helal olsun sana, Baldessari!”—a response that oscillates between admiration and ironic distance.

“Helal olsun sana” is a Turkish expression that conveys praise, encouragement, and acknowledgment, loosely translated as “You go” or “Good for you.”