art
POETICALLY
MELTING MEMORIES
BY REFIK ANADOL
words by irem
photos by pilevneli gallery
Since February, there has been a sensation all over Instagram. People have been posting their photos looking at an Interstellar kind of scene, of which we learned by clicking the location tag that it was Refik Anadol’s digital art installation. You know when something becomes mainstream, it leaves cynical people like me in doubt: “Is it really good, or is it an empty bubble?” Pilevneli Gallery’s amazing PR strategy for encouraging people posting their backward portraits was a home run. Even those who don’t like contemporary or digital art went to see the installation.
Having carefully planned a long and fun day in the neighbourhood which included a breakfast at Pera Palace, my friends and I got off early in the morning for Pilevneli Gallery. Let me tell you, when you live in the edge of Istanbul, going downtown is quite an event and IBB Trafik app is your absolute BFF. After much struggle, procrastination and thankfully an amazing croissant, here we were wandering in the backstreets of Beyoğlu -aka Dolapdere- looking for the Pilevneli Gallery. I don’t know how many colourful apartment buildings and narrow streets we passed, eventually we reached to a main street, and finally admitted that the gallery wasn’t really that close to Pera Palace. Circled around a timber building for a few times while murmuring “is this the place?!”, we looked for a sign saying “Pilevneli Gallery”; alas there was none. Then a door magically appeared and someone came out; following her, we stepped inside. Days later, when we saw a comment on the gallery’s Instagram page saying “I can’t find your place”, our reaction was a deep compassion. Put a sign for heaven’s sake! Nevertheless, the good news is that Dolapdere is the up-and-coming art scene of Istanbul.
"...IT WAS, WHILE POETICALLY MELTING, READY TO SWALLOW YOU INSIDE..."
Refik Anadol’s digital art installation titled “Melting Memories” was truly immersive. It was, while poetically melting, ready to swallow you inside. The installation is a series of digital editions of the artist’s ongoing data sculpture series of the same name. What we were seeing was his interpretation of motor movements inside a human brain, which intriguingly sounds like a science-fiction film. The visuals are formed by focusing on the vibrations that the recalling process of long-time memories causes in the brain. What we saw in the installation at the Pilevneli Gallery was vivid, thrilling and intensely active. However, the artworks Melting Memories I and II over at Sedition ooze a different type of sadness. These artworks which are the result of datasets collected from Alzheimer's disease research put the fear of slowly becoming empty in your heart. It is a beautifully made appreciative reminder of mortality and ageing. While both works are amazing, the latter can be in your collection: you can purchase it over at Sedition. Nonetheless, what made people get completely absorbed by the Melting Memories exhibition must be seeing the somewhat physical beauty of remembering.
Melting Memories series is not the first work by the artist. He had several other art projects in Istanbul and around the world in the past. Wind of Boston: Data Paintings is also one of my favourites of his. And what I love about his works is that some of them is digitally available for everyone on his vimeo channel. Even though nothing can beat a perfectly curated installation, re-experiencing an artistic moment anywhere and anytime is still nice. If you love the artist or would like to see more of his works, Piladis Data Universe is open at Yıldız Exhibition Hall and is as good as Melting Memories.
Website: refikanadol.com
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/refo