Bureau of Commons — betulaksu

Betül AksuBureau of Commpons
2021 - 2022
Performance-installation series

Bureau of Commons is a performance-installation series that creates a temporary, self-declared territory defined by a blue plastic sheet. The work invites participants to collectively reflect on the concept of Free Movement of Persons, exploring issues of borders, mobility, and belonging.

Each edition responds to its unique location and the mobility rights of the performers, highlighting the challenges artworkers face with visa restrictions and access to creative work across borders. The project explores how movement is shaped, restricted, and negotiated within different political contexts, emphasizing movement as an act of presence, resistance, and collective reflection on the politics of migration and creative labor.

Zurich Entry
17.09.2021
Zürich, Pfigstweidstrasse 96

The performance begins with the artist entering carrying a tote bag of materials. Wearing blue plastic gloves, the performer covers the floor with the blue plastic sheet to define the Bureau’s boundaries. A black wheeled document case is placed at the center containing a tangled pile of rope with twelve ends, each tied to a golden-blue pencil resting on the wheels. The performer untangles the ropes one by one, freeing each pencil and creating a circle on the floor. Once installed, the performer invites people to enter the Bureau territory by distributing papers and encouraging participants to step into this temporary space of reflection and movement authorization.

This edition was developed during a residency with the School of Commons in Zürich as part of a collaborative exploration of freedom of movement and collective negotiation.

Venice Entry
16-20 May 2022
16-17-18 May in Venice, various locations
19 May - Arsenale
20 May - Giardini

Venice Entry took place across multiple public and semi-public locations in Venice, including the Arsenale and Giardini, from 16 to 20 May 2022. Presented in parallel to the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, this edition drew attention to the visa requirements and mobility restrictions affecting contributors from participating countries.

Continuing the format of a self-declared territory marked by a blue plastic sheet, the Bureau offered a temporary space to reflect on the politics of free movement. Participants were invited to engage with the work either online by reading the performance text, completing a form, and sharing their responses. The Bureau asked visitors not only to enter, but to question the conditions of entry, mirroring the complexities of navigating borders and permissions within the international art world. The performance was documented and shared through the Bureau’s social media archive.

London Entry
31.08.2022
Victoria Park

London Entry took place on 31 August 2022 as a brief, unscheduled appearance in Victoria Park. A blue plastic sheet marked the Bureau’s temporary territory, inviting public reflection on Free Movement of Persons within the context of the United Kingdom.

This edition focused on the lack of engagement by non-immigrant communities with the bureaucratic structures that shape border politics. The Bureau entered the UK on a Temporary Work visa under the Creative Worker category, embodying the administrative constraints experienced by migrant artists.