Abstract
This article reflects on notions of the embodied archive in diaspora art, with a particular focus on my situated knowledge and positionality as a diasporic artist of mixed Turkish and Austrian heritage who lives in the United Kingdom. Taking my multilingual video performance Surya Namaz (2018) as a case study, I address the question of roots, ancestry or lineage that arose in the making of the video through writing with the practice, and critically explore the pitfalls of self-othering, the trope of the return and the problematic position of the Spivak’s native informant in the context of diaspora art. Reflecting on the multiplicity of voices and encounters that shaped the making of Surya Namaz, I highlight the potential of Relation to resist an essentialist conception of identity while exploring the body as diasporic archive and site of multiple belongings.
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