Frenk Bey, Fortress and the Thing,
was Hasan's solo presentation that dealt with the history of colonial Cyprus via a fictional narrative. As exhibition was hosted by the Nicosia's Old Electric Powerhouse (NiMAC), his show was about the history of electricity in colonial Cyprus. The foundation of his project marks the time of an explosion at the Nicosia Old Powerhouse in 1947 due to neglect caused by problematic power relations between the colonial British Government of Cyprus, the Nicosia Municipality, and the private electric company owner (the elite) that was providing the electricity to the city at the time. Focusing his research on the causes and effects of this incident, Hasan used the information extracted from various archival, historical, and academic material, to create a speculative visual and textual narrative that can be described as Neo-Gothic storytelling or a remake of the Gothic tale Frankenstein.
The Thing, oil paint on wood, 210 x 105 cm, 2022
Text on the Frame
"For each of the precious pieces of the body, I investigated. I knew the cemeteries well. When combined with the hospital records, a small change in them had become obvious to me to find the exact smell of the fresh unsealed earth and the new gravestones that I was looking for. I summoned two heads, one from a Greek, one from a Turk, an arm from an Armenian, a torso with an arm till the wrist from a Maronite, the following hand from a Latin, one leg from an African descended person, and the other from a Gypsy till the foot and the foot from a copper mine worker Pakistani immigrant. Finally, I needed two hearts and an extra lung because the Maronite-torso's heart failed as the reason for his death, and I thought a body with two heads would need more powerful blood circulation. I found a Jewish refugee from the detention camps and an Arab merchant both of who died from Cholera, at the hospital."
The Kite, oil paint on wood, 105 x 105 cm, 2022
Text on the Frame
"He replied, 'Electricity'; describing at the same time the various effects of that power. He constructed a small electrical machine, and exhibited a few experiments; he made also a kite, with a wire and string, which drew down that fluid from the clouds..."
The Keys, oil paint on wood, 105 x 105 cm, 2022
Text on the Frame
"Hey, you! There is another annunciation to those who had believed: the victory is coming with the aid of God. Oh, the opener of the gates, open ones that lead to the good."
Wall I
To Reach the Archive, Click on the Image
The Keys, oil paint on wood, 105 x 105 cm, 2022
Wall II
The Kite, oil paint on wood, 105 x 105 cm, 2022
Samples of official correspondence exchanged between the Municipal Council, the Cyprus Government and the Nicosia Electrical Co. Ltd., owned by Pierides & Michaelides Ltd (The National Archives of United Kingdom, Ref. No.: FCO 141-3019). All rights reserved. These letters dating from 1947 - before and after the explosion at the Old Powerhouse of Nicosia - are the beginning of years-long debates, in which James Owen Hall, the uncle of Stanley Hall, will be also involved in later years.
To Reach the Documents, Please Click on the Image Under
