The 57th International Art Exhibition – VIVA ARTE VIVA – Curator: Christine Macel
Cevdet Erek – ÇIN – Pavilion of Turkey at the Venice Biennale.
An interview with the artist representing Turkey at the National Pavilion Venice Biennial until November 26, 2017. Cevdet Erek is a musician with an architectural background, who for some years has been working with space, architecture and music as a practicing artist. For this year’s national contribution for the Venice Biennial, Erek named his audio and architectural installation after the percussive sound: ÇIN, a word that points to a certain sound:
“It’s like ding in English, an onomatopoeia, and a root from which reverberation and tinnitus (in Turkish) is derived as well” says Erek.
War, space, freedom, noise, these take a particularly central role in the room-large piece. Along with the walkways (one of which is designed to allow you to talk straight under the platform without entering the Turkish pavilion at all – from one pavilion to another – there are staircases one of which is caged off and locked.
What game is going on here with the structure of the space? What is that tinkling tinny sound in the distance. A series of horizontal speakers emit different sotto voce sounds and percussive words. As you go, a small album sized leaflet is available to you, featuring these words with some extractions from graphic scores. Including this poem by Erek:
to repeat oneself
leave a gap
between the doors
shortest distance
between neighboring states
-transit-
high-speed passenger
on an international route
found a place en route
dream a space from afar
dream a relation
leak in and out
build no wall
. . … . … ..
çın çın çıçıçın çın çıçıçın çıçı
pass through the facade
eliminate direct signal
leave behind
hear repercussions
remember
block your ears
tinnnnn
tinnitus
no cure
face history or keep on masking it
çınların içinden geçince
çınlamaların tümü
kulak çınlamasına karışmalı*
. . … . … ..
no pass
away terraces blocked
fenced ruin
series of events
great intensity
most recent jolt
fabricator of tales
distant past
war and death
reset with new jolt
ear pain
arched window
shortest distance
between military landscapes
-transit-
on a vaulted route
a biennial event
marked with a ding
2 years
scaled-down to seconds
. . … . … ..
a sonic timeline
an alarm sound
çın
whatever is square
is a record cover to us
one after another on A side
shoulder to shoulder on B side
pavilion
unreadable logo
a horizontal rectangle
representing a country
a horizontal rectangle
representing its borders
an individual
representing a country
an individual’s voice
growllllllhhhhrrrr
a whisper from afar
zang tumb tumb
drummer in the battlefield scene
a momentary hesitation in her hand
may the war end
(silence) May 5, 2017
* when passing through the dings, the collective reverberation of them should blend with the tinnitus.
|
Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the Pavilion of Turkey is located at Sale d’Armi, Arsenale, one of the main exhibition venues of the Venice Biennale.
Cevdet Erek will host Open Table (Tavola Aperta) on Wednesday, May 17 from 1–3pm, offering visitors the chance to meet him over a casual lunch in the Sale d’Armi in the Arsenale. To reserve a place at this official biennale event, please visit the website of the Venice Biennale. The Open Table (Tavola Aperta) events will be filmed and streamed live on the Biennale’s website.
Broadcast Times
Six Pillars broadcasts on air on 104.4FM, on digital radio signal and online Wednesdays 9-9.30pm UK time. repeating the following Fridays 3.30-4pm.
Listen online here.
Also in Brighton on digital signal and again online, from midnight-00:30am the following Friday morning on Resonance Extra.
Listen online here.
Podcasts
Recently moved to Mixcloud
Six Pillars 