Spike Island Autumn Exhibitions Opening:
October 5th, 18:00
Galeri 1: Can Altay, EY AHALI! / Setting a Setting / Letting a Setting Go
October 6 sees the launch of Spike Island's Autumn Show, presenting three exhibitions of new work by artists Can Altay, Henry VIII's Wives and André Sousa. All of the artists have created their work through Spike Island's internationally acclaimed residency programme. Their projects are loosely connected through the artists' individualized responses to location and their use of collaboration as a mode of contemporary artistic practice.
Istanbul artist, Can Altay, is currently undertaking a three month residency at Spike Island, selected from an open submission call for applications to Turkish artists, in partnership with Platform Garanti, Contemporary Art Centre in Istanbul.
Can's project, EY AHALI! / Setting a Setting / Letting a Setting Go , initiates a series of themed discussions in the gallery. The title indicates the course of action that the artist will take: "Ey Ahali!" is the typical phrase of the traditional introduction to a public announcement, verbally made by shouting on the streets; this will announce the artist's intentions to generate debate in the gallery. 'Setting a Setting' asks whether it is possible to generate a setting for ideas and discussions to take place. 'Letting a Setting Go' is the aspiration that the discussions will follow their own course. Can is also producing objects, films and audio works that reveal the processes of making the exhibition. This includes an interactive sound stage and self assembly journals, directly engaging the viewer. In order to continuously animate the space, the artist will inhabit the gallery for the duration of the exhibition, inviting numerous participants (academics, artists, musicians) to join the project. He will also draw on the wider urban community which surrounds Spike Island and its hidden eco-systems.
