Mutation
From Dante’s Inferno to Random Mutation;
A live recording experiment…
Similar to earthquakes or weather events, mutations also occur randomly to a large extent.
Building upon the concept of computable randomness, this project aims to observe and record the mutation process of sculpture as a work of art, without delving into the mathematical aspects of mutation used in scientific studies.
It acknowledges that the molecules comprising genetic material, when subjected to mutations in nature, are governed by the laws of physics and chemistry. This artistic experiment also recognizes that molecules bonded together by chemical bonds can be disrupted when sufficient energy is applied.
The sculpture is crafted from clay/fireclay and reinforced with various minerals to maintain its structure using stainless steel cage wire. It undergoes firing at a temperature of 1050 degrees Celsius. Once the temperature reaches 1050 degrees and subsequently cools down, a second phase commences, during which the adventure lasting over 24 hours is observed and documented.
By unraveling the concept of randomness employed in the text, we ascertain that it is not the mutation itself that is random, but rather the factors that induce the mutation. This principle also applies to this experiment. In this phase, the artist’s eye and camera come into play. The artist aims to express themselves by capturing the image formed through different lighting techniques and by applying paints of various colors onto the sculpture installed within a cylindrical glass container filled with liquid.
The objective of this project is not to convey the natural mutations that living beings develop to ensure their survival. On the contrary, it seeks to express the profound extinction resulting from the environmental degradation and pollution caused by humanity itself.
The photographs depicting the blackened, carbonated, and transformed clay/fireclay, which has already lost its organic nature but clings to the stainless steel cage wire, symbolize our decay and destruction, intertwined with the technology we have created ourselves.
Gallery
VIDEO ART WORK PRODUCED DURING THE PHOTOSHOOT PROCESS
Related Works
Opened in 2005 in Asmalımescit, Beyoğlu, the ceramics studio is now concluding its journey with its final project, APARLO. The studio has been instrumental in producing projects for the independent artist initiative UWAW.ORG (UnderWaterArtWorks) and has also provided a space for artists from various disciplines. APARLO, created from casting slip and fired at 1050 degrees Celsius, is a limited edition piece with only 70 copies.
UWAW (UnderWaterArtWorks) is an independent art initiative that held its inaugural exhibition in 2001.
It was established with the objective of highlighting topics such as the destructive impact of human activities on nature, underwater life, and water pollution. In 2011, the group organized its first exhibition titled “We Cooked the Sea” featuring four artists. The exhibition took place in the Bodrum district of Muğla and later in the Kaş district of Antalya.
The UWAW (UnderWaterArtWorks) team is gathering around a different theme this time. They have come together to draw attention to the lives lost while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in the hope of a better life after being displaced for various reasons. In the video they co-produced, hundreds of bubbles rising from the seabed represent the last breaths, cries, and rebellions of refugees who lost their lives while crossing the Mediterranean.