Go ‘backwards’ to awaken your consciousness

This is the natural way of things, but it engenders serious risks. It may cause people to “leave their consciousness aside” as they abandon themselves to the direction of the current.

The ongoing art exhibition “Ters Akıntı I-II” (Backwards I-II) is in this sense an attempt at regaining the consciousness and the responsibility of being an individual, a citizen and, above all, a human being. The idea of the exhibition, the concept of “countercurrent,” makes visitors regard the issue from different perspectives, in other words, by rowing against the current.

The exhibition has two legs: “Backwards I” on view at the C.A.M. Gallery in Nişantaşı and “Backwards II” at the C.A.M. Gallery in Beyoğlu.

In the first exhibition, among the five artists who have contributed, Ahmet Elhan focuses on the dynamic relationship between artificial and natural, Murat Germen recognizes humankind's impuissance against nature, Murat Morova points out the directional flow of social and political changes in this geography, Neriman Polat refers to a vicious circle that results from reiterations during the course of life and finally Selim Birsel, reminding us of the scarcity of water, directs attention to a crosscurrent that exists between arbitrary and indispensable amidst the frenzy of consumption.

The second exhibition, with the contributions of Olgu Ülkenciler, Murat Durusoy, Murat Pulat, Melisa Önel and Peter Hristoff, treats the persistent return of the unwanted and ugly that has to be covered, sent away or removed from our daily lives despite all our attempts at disposal and destruction.

Artists from both exhibitions explained the background that formed the basis for the exhibition and discussed the processes that let them take such an initiative in an interview with Today's Zaman. “There's a reference to nature,” says Germen.

A counter-message

“Interestingly, the exhibition has a very quiet, but a very important policy,” notes Morova. “It is especially interesting that it coincided with the floods [in İstanbul]. Countercurrent is a general direction. If you look at Turkish art within the framework of the [ongoing İstanbul] biennial, you can see that the political works all belong to a grotesque political discourse, resulting from the struggle of human beings with each other.” For Morova, the exhibition is a counter reaction resulting from the inclination of the artist toward a deeper and more basic political discourse. “If you examine the works individually, you will see that the subtexts are all about the world that we destroy. I'm proud to be a part of this stance.”

The two-part art exhibition “Ters Akıntı I-II” is on view at the C.A.M. Art Galleries in  Nişantaşı and Beyoğlu throughout October. .

“One of the best aspects of the exhibition is that there are no slogans. It speaks from the depth, in a calm way but properly,” says Morova, criticizing the superficial political approaches, “and real life has corrected us with this flood. This is not an artificial work organized by a curator, but dynamics formed by [nature] itself.”

The artists give their own answers to the question, “What keeps mankind alive?” -- which is the conceptual framework of this year's biennial. “We had reached a consensus on environment, industrialization and modernization,” says Polat, “and this is our reply to what keeps mankind alive.” “And also to the question where does mankind live,” agrees Morova. “We live on this planet and when all the issues about being Kurdish, Turkish, etc., are solved, there will be no proper world to live in.”

The discourse underlying the works of the exhibition is undoubtedly related to the politics of today, beyond daily politics, related to economic, environmental and even cultural policies. “It is claimed that this biennial is the most political [İstanbul] biennial ever organized,” says Morova. “But this only shows that political art has become [entertainment] material. Most of the works on view represent the aesthetic perception of the Soviet period, right or wrong, but today the world is going in a different direction.”

“But the concept of ‘politics' is also depleted,” confirms Polat. “This exhibition is also political, but it doesn't need to have slogans.”

“There is certainly a slogan-like approach in the biennial,” says Germen supportively. “Of course, it is not wrong to attribute a political meaning to an art exhibition, but you also have an expectation to see some art, at least, some aesthetics.”

Germen also points out a different aspect of the present-day artistic system. “[Some of today's artists] are critics of the capitalist system and lifestyle, but these critics can only exist through sponsorship. Isn't this a contradiction in itself?”

“This shows that the culture industry is active in Turkey,” replies Morova. “Once art galleries were being blamed [for capitalizing on art], but now they are the most innocent ones [in today's system]. Today, even the most opposing art circles are not that innocent. ... The situation here is now like a fair,” says Morova, “You don't go to exhibitions; you go to inaugurations. A recent exhibition opening drew some 2,700 people. Normally, the best art exhibition would draw around 500 people. Where are these 2,700 people [coming from]?” he asks, indicating that what should be pure art has turned into a commercial activity. “What keeps mankind alive?” exclaims Morova. “He doesn't experience shame. The opening coincided with the floods and the anniversary of Sept. 12 [the 1980 coup]. At least they could have canceled the biennial's opening parties.”

Modernization and slippers

The works in the exhibition reflect the consequences of distorted urbanization, modernization and daily political conflicts. “There are some patterns, and if you don't fit those patterns, you are left outside,” says Germen. “This is a very strong current. And we can think of the countercurrent in this respect, too.” “There's no proper intelligentsia, no proper intellectual activity; people take their stance according to the situation with stolen ideas,” complains Morova. “There's a hotel in Konya called Hotel Mevlana, and there is [a drawing of] Mevlana on their slippers!”

“Backwards II,” on view at the Beyoğlu gallery, makes visitors face unaccustomed scenes reflecting the realities of both nature and human beings. Ülkenciler expresses the distorted perceptions of her own generation by using the female body: “I don't choose to make elegant ... works, but more repugnant and compelling ones. I want to constrain perceptions.” Durusoy points out the deficiencies in society's common memory. “We call the flood an ‘unprecedented disaster,' but there have been many other disasters before, and if we can't remember 10 years ago, it's terrible.”  “Backwards I” has ended  but “Backwards II” runs until Oct. 15.