I Am Not On The Menu

Evliyagil Museum, Ankara

The table—a symbol of unity, belonging, and shared existence—is reimagined as a site of confrontation. Here, a quiet paradox unfolds: selective empathy grants some beings protection while rendering others invisible, reducing their identities to mere dishes.
This installation challenges speciesism, urging viewers to confront the dissonance between professed values of compassion and the realities of consumption. It compels us to acknowledge the lives excluded from our circles of care, questioning the boundaries we draw between ‘us’ and ‘them.’
Each piece invites a moment of introspection: to see is to bear responsibility. In recognizing the unseen, we are called to align our actions with our ethics, transforming passive consumption into conscious choice.
‘I Am Not on the Menu’ challenges the narratives we accept and the lives they shape—ask yourself: if the roles were reversed, would your story end on a plate? Thankfully, today, you are not on the menu.