Egeran Gallery presents award-winning artist

ISTANBUL

Işıl Eğrikavk’s work was inspired by the recent anti-government Gezi Park protests throughout Turkey.

Egeran Gallery is preparing to present Turkish artist Işıl Eğrikavuk, winner of the 2012 Full Art Prize, with her work “Reverse Corner,” which was inspired by the recent anti-government Gezi Park protests that erupted throughout Turkey in late May. This piece of art work builds on the artist’s previous art works that explore the swift and uncontrollable urban transformation of Istanbul.

The piece takes its name from a term in football that refers to an unexpected shot that tricks the goalkeeper into protecting one side of the goal as the ball enters from the other side. Media coverage of the Gezi Park events has tended to pit protesters against the police, much like a competitive sport with opposing sides.

Eğrikavuk questions this dichotomy and explores the boundaries between “us” and “them.” Thus, “Reverse Corner” is a metaphor for the Gezi Park movement that underlined the importance of public space usage and public participation in cultural policies. 

The installation features a video projected in an environment that mimics a football stadium, alongside photographs and a grouping of sculptures that call to mind police helmets in formation. The photographs, printed to resemble surveillance photos, depict a performance in which a civilian exchanges clothes with a police officer. 

This role reversal is further explored in the sculptures that feature a recording embedded inside of the helmet. The viewer is invited to wear the helmet and hear the story of a young man’s conflicted path to becoming a police officer. As one moves further into the installation, it becomes clear that this is the background story of the contestant featured in the video. 

Eğrikavuk makes text-oriented videos as well as performances that explore significant social issues such as identity, belonging, gender and history. Her often absurd narratives play with the viewer’s perception of reality and point to multiple truths. The exhibition opens on Sept. 5.