Nevin Aladag. STAGE

Arter will be hosting Nevin Aladağ's exhibition "Stage", from 6 April to 27 May 2012. Curated by Başak Doğa Temür, "Stage" occupies Arter's third floor and seems to transform the space into an open performance area composed of stage units. These units consist of approximately three-metre-long hairpieces produced using artificial hair of varying colours. Their scale is adapted to that of the exhibition space, which reminds the viewer simultaneously both of a hairstyle enlarged to the scale of a real stage curtain and of stage curtains made out of hair.

Aladağ gave each of these stages names that resemble sample titles that can be found in artificial hair catalogues: "Stage I, Sapphire Green", "Stage II, Salt and Pepper", "Stage III, Platinum Blonde", "Stage IV, Marron with Copper Red Strands", "Stage V, Scarlet Red" and "Stage VI, Brunette with Light Blue". Although she refrained from providing clues regarding the gender of the "Stages", each of these might be perceived as female characters since long and well-coiffed hair immediately suggests the assumption of a female bearer. On the other hand, the artificiality of the material casts a shadow over any possible inferences the viewer may carry out on the basis of their models and colours. The exhibition space becomes an open performance area where the visitor can adopt the position of the viewer or take a further step to become the viewed and perform the character/stage they feel familiar with.

"Stage" cannot be easily classified as sculpture, installation or performance. While the title conjures up a performance stage or the idea of staging, the work also refers to the idea of gender identity through its material and form. Nevin Aladağ thus opens a space in which the viewer can reconsider the performative aspect of gender identities and actively take to the stage to perform.

"Stage" is Nevin Aladağ's first solo exhibition in Turkey and will run at Arter until 27 May 2012, simultaneously with Mona Hatoum's exhibition "You Are Still Here". The production of this new work by Nevin Aladağ was funded by Arter, in line with the institution's mission to encourage and support artistic production.

On Nevin Aladağ Nevin Aladag was born in Van, Turkey in 1972 and emigrated to Germany with her family in 1973. She studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and lives and works in Berlin since 2002. She has gained international attention for her installations, video works and performances.

She was the recipient of George Maciunas Prize in 2004 and had several grants and residencies. Her works have been widely shown internationally, at institutions including MOT-Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Hayward Gallery, London; The XIV Biennale Internazionale di Scultura, Carrara; The 11th Istanbul Biennial; The 8th Taipei Biennial, Taiwan; Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland; Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel and Museo Tamayo in Mexico City among others.

Nevin Aladag
STAGE
Kurator: Basak Doga Temür