The group exhibition Material Matters features a selection of works by Ahmet Çerkez, Burcu Erden, Ahmet Elhan, Erman Özbaşaran, Mithat Şen, Oddviz, Olgu Ülkenciler, Olcay Kuş, and Tansu Kırcı. The exhibition was on view at Art On İstanbul from November 2 to 30, 2021.
Material Matters focuses on the transformation of materials into concrete tools that carry conceptual meaning in artistic production. When the choice of materials and techniques is deliberate, reflecting on the reasons and consequences of these choices can provide eye-opening perspectives for examining an artwork.
Ahmet Çerkez, in his small-scale works, studies stains and textures by layering paper onto fabric and using acrylic paint. Leaving the edges of the fabric raw emphasizes the artist’s intention to highlight the material with minimal intervention. Even on these small surfaces, the “effect of time,” a central theme in his practice, is evident through the fading, tearing, and aging of the fabric.
Burcu Erden’s sculptural installation draws attention with her unique approach to polyester. Two life-sized cows, hung back-to-back, carry no trace of life in their gray-toned patina. The sculptures, first shaped and textured in clay, are then cast in polyester. Encountering polyester—a material usually associated with smooth surfaces—in such a textured, dynamic, and patinated form complicates the perception of the material. Erden’s mastery over shaping wood also contributes to the initial reading of the sculpture as wooden.
Erman Özbaşaran creates fragmented compositions by transferring photographs taken in archaeological sites onto painting surfaces and intervening with acrylic paint and pencil. In the lower half of the painting, repeated column-cap images and dark-toned stains create a rhythm. The upper half carries images with lighter stains and textured details, with brush marks or clusters of lines. Despite the movement added by geometric fragments, the color and tonal variations unify the composition on a single surface layer.
Mithat Şen’s 2007 work is a strong example of his process of transforming materials into form. The piece is based on a 13-unit schema developed in his early period, divided into four squares with parts positioned at different heights over a total height of 123 cm, presented with the upper portion on the wall and the lower portion on the floor. Produced in a single color with latex and matte fabric, the work creates a dynamic volume through depth and light variations.
Oddviz presents Venice I from the Inventory series in this exhibition. The artists transform the water wells and fountains they observed in Venice into a virtual 3D installation using photogrammetry, interpreting the city’s water culture through the map of the Grande Canale.
Olcay Kuş’s recent works, Closer I and Closer II, focus on gestures beneath defined actions. In these pieces, executed with acrylic and spray paint on canvas, the stencil technique allows the gestures to be presented in motion.
Olgu Ülkenciler’s three-dimensional modular work Spiral, made from aluminum, reinterprets the spiral’s circular shape through an angular structure. The sculpture, created through repeated forms that are circular inside and angular outside, gains volume and mass as the forms converge from various points.
Ahmet Elhan’s two 2015 photographs from the Buzlu Cam (Frosted Glass) series feature visuals of another work, framed and set behind glass. The frosted glass, divided by guiding lines over the landscape photograph, interrupts the viewer’s gaze. By doing so, the artist downplays the landscape’s captivating effect and emphasizes the constructed nature of the photograph.
Tansu Kırcı proposes a new scaling in his marble sculptures while preserving the character of the stone. By removing the structural elements from their functional context, this scale allows the artist to highlight the texture and form inherent in the raw material.
The Material Matters exhibition invites viewers to focus on materials and reflect on the artists’ choices of materials and techniques.
