Belonging is one of the needs that shape identity. Each person belongs to a specific idea or group, such as religion, land, race, etc. It is about the sense of feeling accepted and that the person belongs to something bigger than themselves.

The following two research questions were made while initiating this project;
Do people choose their affiliations consciously or unconsciously?
How can we use different affiliations to create similarities?

Often, people need to express themselves and their belongingness from the first time they introduce themselves. In that way, they show their membership, strength, and beliefs.
However, some affiliations (nationality, religion, race..) are inherited or adopted from their ancestors, community, or society. Therefore, any characteristic of their affiliation becomes an engraved part of the identity and will turn into a sensitive chord that is difficult to play.

During this research, I have discovered that belonging can be dangerous when people see their belonging as a reason to despise those remaining out of their group. In many wars and conflicts, belonging was one of the triggers to wagging the war. For example, the conflict in north Ireland significantly impacts people's behavior and identities. During my replacement, I created a method to find similarities in different affiliations.

The participants in the workshop belong to different religions and beliefs. However, through art-making, they found that their differences are very similar.

When people confront their belongingness and live in deep self-discussion, they eventually pour into the sea of solid belief. In that journey, they discover that each individual has the right to choose their affiliations freely; also, the different belongings bring people together instead of separating them. Therefore, This process brings the understanding of how to become an active member of society.

Changing the world and creating peace can be achieved by working with our affiliations as a way to understand others'.


Click here for the photos of the project.