An Extraordinary Incident
YEAR: 1995
CATALOG NUMBER: 93
PROVENANCE
Collection of the artist
EXHIBITIONS
Istanbul
New Orientation. The Vision of Art in a Paradoxical World, 10 Nov 1995 — 10 Dec 1995 (here entitled Unusual Incident)
DESCRIPTION
The installation is erected in an enormous space in one of the first Christian temples – the Church of St. Irene in Istanbul – and will utilize (include) the actually existing archaeological object: the original floor of the temple, which was discovered under the multiple most recent strata. The small fragment of this original floor is located approximately 1 meter below the level of the contemporary floor. The extraordinary silence, the enormous size and the preserved, charged mystical atmosphere of the temple all dictated the subject and form of this installation. This atmosphere, actually, is the main component, the main ‘character’ of the installation. Without it, the installation will lose all the tension and all its meaning.
The part of the floor inside of which the open fragment is located consists of a small, square hole. Around this ‘hole’ will be placed four barriers (also in a square), so that they will create a closed care (square space). A plate will be placed next to the barrier, on which there will be a text along with the photograph and a drawing. There are not so many parts to this installation, and I want to repeat: the whole meaning of it is in the surroundings – enormous emptiness all around, silence, solitude, calmly flowing light from the windows located high under the dome. And of course, inspired by this entire atmosphere, is the text lying on the plate.
Images
Literature
