Arda Asena's first solo exhibition “Forging Possibilities in Chaos,” currently on view at Ankara Ka Space for Visual Culture & Artistic Thinking, possesses a magic that enables one to move beyond the uniform class, the uniform possibility, and the uniform understanding of existence imposed by global society. It allows one to pass through unseen spaces and create new opportunities from the things that cling to you along the way.
Exhibition Photos: Emirhan Demirel
A game within a game
Truth and freedom, the recognition of self-determination or autonomy, chaos or simplicity—these are concepts that actually require each other to be fully explained. Yet, when contemplating the connection between these concepts, we often feel as though there must be some form of definition or limitation. For instance, conditions are set regarding one's potential to determine their own life: what they will or won't do, what they will suffer for or won't suffer for... However, even the most free societies need to continuously recreate freedom. Can we really speak of personal freedom when we have the possibility of being free together with others? Conducting an interview with the artist Arda Asena about their works and creative process not only helps us grasp a small part of the world the artist has constructed, but also allows us to glimpse into the space that lies beyond the photographs. But don't believe that either, because Arda doesn't reveal much about their work, position, or next steps. They leave us curious—thankfully so.
What keeps you engaged in your field of work, and how do the creative processes unfold on your end?
In fact, in this exhibition, I produced works by sticking to just two mediums. But in my practice, I generally draw from four different areas: photography, sculpture, weaving, and painting. I can say that it starts with a kind of introspection—a process of looking inward. It's related to my curiosity about the body and nature in terms of aesthetics and form. When I look there, I begin to convey the feelings or forms that I cannot quite describe or fully understand. If it's a photograph, I carry it into sculpture; if it's a sculpture, I carry it into weaving. So, they always exist within a cycle, connected to each other. That's why the starting point is generally focused on an inner journey and bodily understanding.
You mentioned a relationship between the mediums you chose. When we look at the works in the exhibition, there are intersecting points among the things you mentioned, but the materials you use present themselves in very different ways as disciplines. How do you relate these to each other?
In general, I focus on how I can convey an idea or theme in different mediums or dimensions. It's somewhat like having a concern, the other party not understanding this concern, and your practice of expressing this concern in different ways. How else can I define it? It’s also possible to see it as an echo of the inability to express it verbally.
It's a small exhibition in terms of the number of works displayed, but when viewed within the perspective and holistic scope, it’s quite large. The coming together of these works through various materials or the processes they follow over time… We would actually like to discuss each of these individually.
Everything begins with my curiosity about nature. No one can clearly know or see my perspective on the body or the landscape in my mind. It’s possible to express this abstractly, but the boundaries of that are quite broad. For this reason, I realized that nature is the area where I feel most comfortable and at ease. This partly comes from my childhood. I grew up in a house with a garden. There were many large trees in that garden, and it was a place where I felt secure both in terms of my identity and personally. In general, I wanted to play a little with the place where the viewer positions themselves in this exhibition. It’s an exhibition that also explores the dynamic of the relationship between the individual and society. As a viewer, do you position yourself from an interventionist place, or from a place where you align with the subject? Where is the potential between the works and the viewer, and is the viewer seeking that? Returning to the memories I’ve mentioned, my relationship with nature influenced my relationship with my works and my relationship with materials. I've been taking photographs since childhood. There was always a nature theme.
When did these come together?
Many years later… For example, portraits have always existed, but I never took a portrait with nature in the same moment. They are all very different, but what I seek is always the same, whether for the body or for nature. This is partly because I see the body as a part of nature and nature as a part of the body. In my mind, they always progress together, arm in arm.
What are your thoughts on the relationship between the material, the work, and the message, and how this connection influences the viewer's relationship with the artist and the work they produce? In other words, do you experience the encounter with the viewer that you desire in your mind?
I want to establish it, but I don’t entirely hand over this narrative to the viewer. Previously, among the possible questions you shared with me, there was one about the "gap in the gaze." In fact, I can connect it a bit to that right now: the relationship I have with the gap in the gaze between photographs is somewhat like this. It becomes a space or spaces that I create for myself, a gap that I escape into during my own inner journey. Because as individuals, we are constantly under the microscope of society, and that’s why I tried to say at the beginning of the interview that it's related to the area the viewer wants to see. Are you looking at these photographs from a more interventionist perspective, or are you actually looking to reach the potential of the unseen space in the subject's gap in the gaze? There could be chaos there too. The question made me think deeply again when it was posed to me. So, thank you for that. I wanted to give the viewer some clues about that part, but not too much. Instead of saying, "Here you go, take it," I wanted to play with them. I can say that it developed both spontaneously and deliberately. In none of the portraits was there eye contact with the viewer. But over time, when I looked at my photos in general, I realized that I had unintentionally captured these frames.
There is an incredible sense of playground in your work. Could we say that you relate to the subjects in your work in a similar way? A game that starts in your mind seems to begin within the subjects and objects you see in the next stage.
Exactly. It’s like subjectifying the subject...
Because it inevitably makes one wonder, "Are those who enter Arda's frame aware of this game, or is there a manipulation happening through the aesthetics of the work?"
This is a game in itself, actually. In terms of approach and continuity, we are all playing a game. When we look at the history of photography, when we delve into its nature, it's somewhat of an interventionist practice—capturing the subject in an instant. That's why I prefer to proceed with a more collective approach whenever possible.
Now, your final question: What is happening in that unseen gap in the gaze?
I believe there is both chaos and possibility there. Because one cannot exist without the other. I said this partly based on my own experience. These two concepts can draw each other in. In that gap in the gaze, perhaps the subject is facing chaos, or maybe they are confronting possibilities. Or they might be creating one of these. I enjoy holding these two ends together and experiencing the nuance they create within us (because deep down, I want to live this way myself). A uniform approach doesn’t appeal to me at all.
Thank you very much. This has been a wonderful, thought-provoking interview that we will likely ponder for a long time.
Thank you very much too.
The exhibition was open from April 1 to May 28, 2023, at Ka Space for Visual Culture and Artistic Thought in Ankara.
This interview was published in Turkish on the dadanizm.com website on May 18, 2023.
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