Köken Ergun
13 - 23 May 2009
KÖKEN ERGUN
"Crash on Queens"
Tijdelijk Museum Amsterdam: solopresentation Köken Ergun
From 13-05-2009 until 23-05-2009
Conceived from the ideas of Spinoza three works by the Turkish, Berlin based artist Köken Ergun are being shown. His videos deal with various aspects regarding the Turkish Republic, such as its handling of religion, freedom of expression, nationalism, traditions and militarism. Lately relations with and attitudes toward Western Europe are coming more to the fore in his work, as is the case in the recent video performance 'Tanklove' (2008) in which, curiously enough, a tank drives into a village in Denmark.
An unusual, distinctly not everyday icon of war - a tank – appears in the ordinary street scene of the village of Jyderup. The residents show little surprise, in this video where the tank almost becomes part of the landscape. The Film 'The Flag' was shot during the 'April 23rd Children's Day', which marks the establishment of the new Turkish Parliament, and the official demise of the Ottoman Empire back in 1920. This split screen film documents a pompous patriotic performance devised by elders to be performed by children. The ceremony features poems and oaths read out loud by primary schools students. Patriotism becomes a hard-lined nationalism.
And amidst growing discussions on the headscarf issue the artist made the work 'Untitled' (2004). With this video Köken Ergun wanted to express his personal protest, embodying the stress on the contemporary Islamic body.
Köken Ergun
Untitled, Turkey, 2004, 8'54'
Amidst growing discussions on the headscarf issue, the President of Turkey was holding the annual Republic Day Ball at the Presidential Palace. For the reception he sent one-person invitations to the members of the Parliament whose majority was held by the Islamic Democrats. This was his strategy to prevent their wives from attending the night who would naturally wear headscarves. With his videowork 'Untitled', Köken Ergun wanted to express his personal protest, embodying the stress on the contemporary Islamic body.
Köken Ergun
The Flag (Bayrak)
Turkey, 2006, 9'01'
http://i-soldier-the-flag.blogspot.com/
'The Flag' is the second part of Köken Ergun's video series about the state-controlled national day ceremonies of the Turkish Republic. Shot during the 'April 23rd Children's Day', which marks the establishment of the new Turkish Parliament, and the official demise of the Ottoman Empire back in 1920, this split screen film documents a pompous patriotic performance devised by elders to be performed by children. Hosted by the mayor and governor of Istanbul, with the participation of a high ranking general, the ceremony features poems and oaths read out loud by primary schools students. Patriotism becomes a hard-lined nationalism. One of the texts, 'The Flag', is recited passionately by a girl who vows to 'destroy the nest of any bird who doesn't salute (her country's) flag in flight' and 'dig the grave of anyone who doesn't look at the flag the way (she does).'
Köken Ergun
TANKLOVE, Denmark, 7', 2008
commissioned by U-TURN Quadriennial,
co-produced by U-TURN and
SAIR (Solyst Artist in Residency)
http://koken-tanklove.blogspot.com/
An unusual, not daily war-icon - the tank - appears in the daily scene of the village Jyderup in Denmark. The inhabitants don't even look surprised, but rather enthousiastic about the arrival of the tank. In this video-performance titled ‘TANKLOVE' the tank seems to be part of the landscape.
Born in Istanbul, in 1976, Köken Ergun studied acting at the Istanbul University and completed his postgraduate diploma degree in Classics at King's College London, followed by an MA degree in Visual Communication Design at the Bilgi University. After working with American theatre director Robert Wilson, Ergun became involved more with contemporary art, specifically video and performance. He has exhibited internationally at institutions including Platform Garanti (Istanbul), KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Arts (Helsinki), Sparwasser HQ (Berlin), Digital ArtLab (Tel Aviv), Museum of Contemporary Arts Taipei, Casino Luxembourg, Art in General (New York), and Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam. His video works are also screened at film festivals, including Oberhausen, Rotterdam, Sydney and Zagreb Film Festivals. He is the 2007 recipient of the Tiger Award of the Rotterdam Film Festival for his short film 'The Flag'.
"Crash on Queens"
Tijdelijk Museum Amsterdam: solopresentation Köken Ergun
From 13-05-2009 until 23-05-2009
Conceived from the ideas of Spinoza three works by the Turkish, Berlin based artist Köken Ergun are being shown. His videos deal with various aspects regarding the Turkish Republic, such as its handling of religion, freedom of expression, nationalism, traditions and militarism. Lately relations with and attitudes toward Western Europe are coming more to the fore in his work, as is the case in the recent video performance 'Tanklove' (2008) in which, curiously enough, a tank drives into a village in Denmark.
An unusual, distinctly not everyday icon of war - a tank – appears in the ordinary street scene of the village of Jyderup. The residents show little surprise, in this video where the tank almost becomes part of the landscape. The Film 'The Flag' was shot during the 'April 23rd Children's Day', which marks the establishment of the new Turkish Parliament, and the official demise of the Ottoman Empire back in 1920. This split screen film documents a pompous patriotic performance devised by elders to be performed by children. The ceremony features poems and oaths read out loud by primary schools students. Patriotism becomes a hard-lined nationalism.
And amidst growing discussions on the headscarf issue the artist made the work 'Untitled' (2004). With this video Köken Ergun wanted to express his personal protest, embodying the stress on the contemporary Islamic body.
Köken Ergun
Untitled, Turkey, 2004, 8'54'
Amidst growing discussions on the headscarf issue, the President of Turkey was holding the annual Republic Day Ball at the Presidential Palace. For the reception he sent one-person invitations to the members of the Parliament whose majority was held by the Islamic Democrats. This was his strategy to prevent their wives from attending the night who would naturally wear headscarves. With his videowork 'Untitled', Köken Ergun wanted to express his personal protest, embodying the stress on the contemporary Islamic body.
Köken Ergun
The Flag (Bayrak)
Turkey, 2006, 9'01'
http://i-soldier-the-flag.blogspot.com/
'The Flag' is the second part of Köken Ergun's video series about the state-controlled national day ceremonies of the Turkish Republic. Shot during the 'April 23rd Children's Day', which marks the establishment of the new Turkish Parliament, and the official demise of the Ottoman Empire back in 1920, this split screen film documents a pompous patriotic performance devised by elders to be performed by children. Hosted by the mayor and governor of Istanbul, with the participation of a high ranking general, the ceremony features poems and oaths read out loud by primary schools students. Patriotism becomes a hard-lined nationalism. One of the texts, 'The Flag', is recited passionately by a girl who vows to 'destroy the nest of any bird who doesn't salute (her country's) flag in flight' and 'dig the grave of anyone who doesn't look at the flag the way (she does).'
Köken Ergun
TANKLOVE, Denmark, 7', 2008
commissioned by U-TURN Quadriennial,
co-produced by U-TURN and
SAIR (Solyst Artist in Residency)
http://koken-tanklove.blogspot.com/
An unusual, not daily war-icon - the tank - appears in the daily scene of the village Jyderup in Denmark. The inhabitants don't even look surprised, but rather enthousiastic about the arrival of the tank. In this video-performance titled ‘TANKLOVE' the tank seems to be part of the landscape.
Born in Istanbul, in 1976, Köken Ergun studied acting at the Istanbul University and completed his postgraduate diploma degree in Classics at King's College London, followed by an MA degree in Visual Communication Design at the Bilgi University. After working with American theatre director Robert Wilson, Ergun became involved more with contemporary art, specifically video and performance. He has exhibited internationally at institutions including Platform Garanti (Istanbul), KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Arts (Helsinki), Sparwasser HQ (Berlin), Digital ArtLab (Tel Aviv), Museum of Contemporary Arts Taipei, Casino Luxembourg, Art in General (New York), and Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam. His video works are also screened at film festivals, including Oberhausen, Rotterdam, Sydney and Zagreb Film Festivals. He is the 2007 recipient of the Tiger Award of the Rotterdam Film Festival for his short film 'The Flag'.