Crossing Lines exhibition with seven international artists will take place in London.

We will be closed on Monday the 16th of November.

Date: 9th of November 2015 (Preview)- 20th of November 2015

Location: Gallery on the Corner, 155 Battersea Park Road, London, SW8 4BU.

Time: 17:00-21:00 (Preview Night), 11:00-18:00daily.

Organised by: Open Space Istanbul

Curated by: Billur Tansel & Huma Kabakcı

PDF Booklet Crossing Lines

Photographic Tabloid IMAGE

 

With the recent global conflicts stirring the world, questioning identity, what it means and what it represents becomes more crucial. The drastic changes that happened in the 20th Century led to the unexpected worldwide migration, global conflict, warring, unchecked materialistic consumption and environmental issues. All of these issues have created anxiety, melancholia and alienation; from which arises a desire to cross the lines sometimes physically, sometimes in an allegorical sense.

The famous Jamaican-born cultural theorist and sociologist Stewart Hall (1932- 2014) once stated; “the turmoil and change that have resulted raise important questions related to the cultural politics of loss, belonging, and place” (Hall 1989). According to the existentialist philosophy, as individuals, we are thrown into this world without our own consent; we do not get to choose which family, which country we are born into, our physical traits, our gender, our race. We inherit the weight of unresolved disputes of our past, without really being related to them. We are held responsible for the decisions and actions that our ancestors took much before we were even born.

So, Why does identity matter? How are identities formed? How can we shape our identities? What are they consisted of? Our identities help us categorise and group our selves according to our gender, culture, norms, personas in order to give us a sense of belonging.However, these groupings should not allow for any conflict or discrimination. The exhibition titled “Crossing Lines” will explore the ever-ongoing search for these identities from the artists’ point of view.

Artists often explore the characteristics that determine our personal and social identity. They construct a sense of who we are as individuals, as a society, or as a nation. They question stereotypes and conventions while exploring attributes such as gender, sexuality, race, nationality and heritage. Therefore, artists’ response and interpretation to this idea of ‘Crossing Lines’ is vital.

This particular exhibition aims to include side events such as; performances, discursive talks, symposiums and presentations exploring the topics Identity and Culture in order to open up to other possible exhibitions and projects.

Artists
(please follow links for biographies)

Ergin Çavuşoğlu (b. 1968- )
Nezaket Ekici (b 1970- )
Özlem Günyol & Mustafa Kunt (b. 1977 & 1978- )
Paul Hodgson (b. 1972- )
Taus Makhacheva (b. 1983- )
Antonio Riello (b. 1958- )