Reality is Elsewhere

HALİL ALTINDERE

19 DECEMBER 2014 - 31 JANUARY 2015

HALİL ALTINDERE

19 DECEMBER - 31 JANUARY

Halil Altındere is back on stage after three years. His solo show ‘Reality is Elsewhere” is on display at Pilot Gallery between December 19, 2014 and January 31, 2015. 

Altindere, whose works have been recognized not only in Turkey but all over the world, presents his recent works that were produced in the last three years. The exhibition  includes 15 pieces of videos, sculptures, oil paintings and objects.

The artist who reversed the conceptions of nation-state and authority through works on everyday objects like identity cards, banknotes, stamps in his early productions, started to focus on subcultures, gender and odd-but-ordinary situations of everyday life after the 2000s. He often likes to present reality that looks like fiction, and fiction that looks like reality. His ironic and political approach can grasp the audience easily.

From the 5th Istanbul Biennial in 1997 to Documenta 12 (2007) and to his recent exhibition at MoMA/PS1, Altındere's works appeared at various important exhibitions.

'Reality is Elsewhere' comprises of his latest productions presented at international exhibitions that have not been on display in Turkey. 

The exhibition, which heaps up in three parts, springs the idea of reality. It endeavors to face the art world, to narrate the odd-but-ordinary stories and to understand the past and present of Turkey.

Altindere's works that mixes up reality and fiction are more oriented towards transgressing the boundaries of geography and time. Altindere twists the idea of medium of the artwork and art appreciation through his waxworks of common people who could never be imagined as waxwork figures due to their non-famous personalities –as the waxwork would only be suitable for‘valuables’ and ‘populars'. A guy going mad in an art space, a spectator talking on phone and a baby touching an electric plug create the surprising axis of the exhibition. 

The artist's point of confronting art and self was formerly handled in 1994, during his school years, in a work ‘Homage to Toulouse-Lautrec’ followed by his works “My Mother Likes Pop-

Art Because Pop-Art Is Colorful” and “My Mother Likes Fluxus Because Fluxus is Anti-Art” 

and dollar sign marks on Esat Tekand's artwork. The peak of the confrontation was reached by his most recent works, which are now creating the current exhibition. And, the popular discussions of the 90s, especially the clash of abstract and figurative art becomes visible: ‘Soyut sensin, figüratif babandır’

On the other hand, the leading personas of the art in Turkey, Rene Block, Vasıf Kortun and Sarkis are pictured and put on a wall through which they become the immortal subjects of art history.

Nevertheless, occasional aggressive reactions toward Altindere's artworks are placed within this confrontational account. It is free to hit the marble punchbag, but mind the pain! On the opposite of the marble punchbag as the auto portrait of the artist, stands the work of the words, paying homage to Mladen Stilinovic: “An Attack on My Art Is an Attack on Socialism and Progress”

The third axis of the exhibition does strive for understanding and explicating the past and present of Turkey. After ‘Wonderland’ which has become a hit piece in Turkey and abroad, Altindere produced ‘Angels of Hell’ that depicts a form of hell where the angel and devil enjoys ambiguity. The stunt actors from the 70s cinema of Turkey and James Bond movies take part in this video. Surprise factor appears with the lead actors: 118 cm tall Mirac Bayramoglu, female body building champion Isil Aktan and Goksel Kaya who resembles Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. 

A pair of ordinary shoes that stepped forward in the history of Turkey becomes an iconic figure through the existence of the hyper-realistic bronze sculpture, while Gezi as a social-sculpture becomes infinite through a mnemonical photograph.

Exhibition will be open until January 31 at Co-Pilot.