Ali Kazma
dal 17/2/2009 al 17/4/2009
Segnalato da
17/2/2009
Ali Kazma
Qbox gallery, Athens
Obstructions. This is a modular series, meaning the 8 videos can be shown in different combinations, creating in this way different tensions and readings of the whole. This is the first time that the artist chooses to exhibit all of them together. Curated by Emre Baykal.
Curated by Emre Baykal
Qbox Gallery is pleased to present Obstructions, eight videos of the Turkish artist Ali Kazma in his first solo show in
Greece. Ali Kazma has been working on the Obstructions series since 2005. This is a modular series, meaning the videos
can be shown in different combinations, creating in this way different tensions and readings of the whole. This is
the first time that Ali Kazma chooses to exhibit all of them together. In Obstructions the artist is interested in
exploring the special relationship that exists between the producer --artist, artisan, factory-- and the product and
how that process fits into the "bigger" picture of our contemporary society.
All eight of them document human activities related to maintenance, repair, production and creation.
The Clock Master (2006) documents the repair of a 19th century French clock by the official clock master of the
Ottoman Museum of Istanbul while the Brain Surgeon (2006) is a documentation of a brain surgery performed to
correct the misfiring neurons on the left side of the brain which is causing the patient significant loss of the right
side of her body. The Rolling Mills (2007) documents the making of construction steel in Dilovasi, the industrial
heartland of Istanbul and Slaughterhouse (2007) a day in the life of an industrial slaughterhouse in Instabul. The
Studio Ceramist shows a well-known ceramist and designer, as she makes one of her clay works in her studio in
Paris while the Household Goods Factory (2008) documents Alessi, a well-known Italian design company, as they
produce design products outside Milan. Lastly, Jean Factory (2008) shows the manufacturing of blue jeans, inside
the Turkish Mavi - Erak factory in Instanbul.
In order to make these videos Ali Kazma goes to the site of production for a brief visit to familiarize himself with the
process. When he starts the shooting it is only him and a camera. He has never used assistants, lights etc. as he
prefers to work almost as a ghost, so that the process he is trying to capture does not get distorted.
Ali Kazma (born Istanbul 1971) is a video artist who received his MA degree from the New School in New York City.
In 2000 he returned to Istanbul where he still resides. His videos raise fundamental questions about the meaning
and significance of human activity and labor and the meanig of economy, production and social organisation.
He exhibited his work in Istanbul Biennial (2001 and 2007), Tokyo Opera City (2001), Istanbul Modern (2004 and
2008), 9th Havana Biennial (2006), San Francisco Art Institute (2006), Lyon Biennial (2007), Athens Biennial (2007)
and in Whitechapel, London (2008) among others.
Opening: Wednesday, 18 February, 19:00 - 22:00
Qbox gallery
Armodiou st. 10, Varvakios agora - Athens
Free admission