Storyteller
Three Solo Shows
Ruth Biller – Jan Kuck – Serkan Küçüközcü
November 9 – December 27, 2017, Istanbul

Anna Laudel Contemporary brings three solo shows together in one exhibition entitled “Storyteller”. The exhibition showcases a selection of works by 3 artists from different artistic backgrounds, presenting common themes in their own individual narrative forms.

Opening on Thursday, November 9, the exhibition features works by artists under different subtitles including; Ruth Biller “VisaVis”, Jan Kuck “History is Now” and Serkan Küçüközcü “Daydreaming”.

The exhibition tells stories of relocation and encounters; social references and irony; inner world and personal histories, and show how each artist builds a unique visual space while narrating common subject points. Each inspired by different techniques, artists invite visitors to explore their narratives and become a part of their stories.

Ruth Biller “VisaVis”

Ruth Biller, from Germany, focuses on the theme “VisaVis” and asks “Why am I here?”, pointing out the fast-paced digitalised world which has become a stage of constant migration and movement from one place to another. The artist uses the expression VisaVis to address how our lives have been affected by the encounters in this rapid change of the world. The themes of nature could be seen in the paintings as symbols of escape points. The artist ironically touches the contemporary issue of needing a “Visa” to travel and how this procedure creates a dialogue between countries. Working on the themes of “Visa”, nature and changing places, she underlines the spatial neighbourhoods referencing the theme of the 15th Istanbul Biennial, “A Good Neighbour”.

Ruth Biller, VisaVis I, 2017, Oil on canvas, 70 x 200 cm

Ruth Biller, Badende, 2005, Oil on canvas, 80 x 270 cm

Jan Kuck “History is Now”

Jan Kuck, from Germany, produces aesthetically appealing and flawless works using different materials such as cement, mirrors, neon lights, wood and glass. Under the title “History is Now”, the artist aims to create philosophical meanings under the aesthetic works and uses historical and contemporary references of cultural and social situations. He points out the wit and tragedy behind the issues of our time. Sometimes we see a bread covered with crystals and being cut with a golden knife, and sometimes figures with neon lights which refer to the Old Masters paintings; the artist’s work is dominated by an irony that is usually reflected through contrast. Kuck takes a traditional carpet and nods it with modern lights in order to focus on the inequalities, labour exploitation and heavy working conditions that women have faced throughout the history of textile work. Simultaneously, he underlines the high speed of production and information transfer through the speed of light. The artist ties the rapidly changing themes of contemporary world to daily life and also narrates the past over today/now.

Jan Kuck, Bread, 2014, Concrete, Swarovski-Crystals, gold plated bread knife, 42 cm x 34 cm x 15 cm

Jan Kuck, Arachne Installation

Jan Kuck, Certainty describes the death of hope, 2014, Mixed media (glass lamps, wax) 

Jan Kuck, Arachne, 2016, Glass fibre fabrics, LED projector, 460 x 268 cm

Jan Kuck Old Masters New – Lucas Cranach – The Unequal Couple (Old Man in Love) IV, Neon tubes, woven fabric, oldmaster frame 147 cm x 118 cm x 12 cm

Serkan Küçüközcü “Daydreaming”

Serkan Küçüközcü, from Turkey, participates in the exhibition with the theme “Daydreaming”. In his paintings, he presents familiar daily objects in huge sizes, placed in unknown, irrelevant spaces; describing a world of vibrant colours. In these unknown places there is no mankind and the atmosphere questions the sense of belonging; by taking out the human from these dreamscapes, the childhood of a person is stolen, the toys of a child is stolen, a candied apple, a lollipop, a carousel in a park is stolen from us by the artist and is delivered to the unknown nature. His works play with our perception of space and object, creating a feeling of displacement and homelessness and on the other hand, they form a dream space where we can constantly reproduce and continue our dreams.

Serkan Küçüközcü, Rubik’s Cube, 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 116 x 140 cm

Photo Credit: Kayhan Kaygusuz