Başkalaşmış Objelerin Hikayesi
Şakir Gökçebağ is an artist who embraces conceptual perception by changing the identities of the objects he installs, and an artist who was well deserved for many awards on his work since he first started. We talked with Şakir Gökçebağ, who has been continuing his work in Hamburg since 2001, about his work and expectations during his solo show taking place in Germany.
As a kid, did you have a desire to become an artist, a goal to receive awards internationally?
I never had a goal other than art. Ever since I’ve known myself, I’ve been busy doing creative things, like drawing and building my own toy. I probably didn’t dream of the awards.
What kind of an impact does the Hamburg art scene have on the evolution of your work?
The art scene here never made me feel like a stranger. In fact, really supported me. This kept me in a constant creative process. I saw many things around me, and showed many things.
What do you pay attention the most in the creative process of your installations?
The ideal is to be able to create what I foresee without getting influenced by anything. I guess this is every artists wish. If you can’t perform the way you think due to boundaries, it will produce situations that won’t satisfy you.
We often realize umbrellas in your installations. How is the identity of this common object altered when placed in your installations?
Yes, the object loses many things, changes it’s identity, gets altered, but still keeps it’s familiarity. It doesn’t fully get estranged. The spectator compares it’s first and last state, imagines in mind the stages of formation, and starts to think.
Can we say that Minimalism and Pop Art play a big part in your art?
It can be said that I combined not only Minimalism and Pop Art, but many other ism’s. Fluxus, dada, ready-made, arte povera, bauhaus, to name a few.
Your new solo exhibition is opening in Germany… What kind of an approach will the audience find here?
My new exhibition is called Golden Cut (Der Goldene Schnitt). It gets it’s name from an installation series made up of yellow colored garden hoses. The siginificance of the exhibition is that all the work is done by cutting. I will also be showing a new medium for the first time in this show. Bent and wavy material used in the construction of roofs. The installations will also be a juxtaposition to the exhibition hall, which is built in Bauhaus design.
What makes a photograph perfect for you?
Every photograph is beautiful or valuable depending on it’s setting. Yet, when it’s parallel with the character and concept, the photograph gains more value.
The first thing that comes to mind when looking at your photographs?
Familiarity, nostalgia… I first see, will it please me, reflect me if I take this photograph? If it gets my approval it’s good to go.