Performance Installation 2018

Gruppenausstellung SPIEGELUNGEN I FLACHEN TIEFEN SELBSTBETRACHTUNGEN,Alte Feuerwache, Kulturhaus Friedrichshain, Projektraum,Berlin 6.9.-7.10.2018

Performance 13.9.2018

In the performance “Monolith”, the artist stands atop a small mound of earth, positioned in front of a monolithic block approximately two meters tall. She begins to clean the surface of the block, gradually removing its outer layer of black earth until a reflective mirror surface emerges. The concept is inspired by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which perfectly shaped monoliths appear mysteriously near Jupiter. These monoliths symbolize perfection and the divine—objects that provoke awe and transformation, often reflecting a deeper, cosmic intelligence. In “Monolith,” the artist draws on this symbolism, treating the block as a mirror of self-knowledge. This epistemological focus diverges from Kubrick’s film, instead of centering the extraterrestrial as a higher power form, Ekici’s art compels the viewer to regard themselves. Once the black soot-like material is removed from the block, what confronts the audience is not an object from outer space, but a reflection of themselves. Their own body is what is made aware to them; Ekici’s act of creating and revealing the hidden presents herself as the final beholdened object. As she labors to uncover its surface, the block takes on a dual function: as both a sculptural form and a visual metaphor. It becomes a literal and symbolic mirror, one that reflects not only the viewer’s image but also a moment of introspection: one is forced to contemplate onself. By freeing the block from the earth, the artist reveals this mirror from all sides—inviting a confrontation with the self and an encounter with the divine or the ideal. (Text Edited: Jono Wang Chu)

Mirrors, wooden construction, buckets, spotlights, earth, water, costumes

40 min

Camera und Editing: Branka Pavlovic

Photos: Julian David Bolivar

Curator: Harald Theiss

Thanks to Alte Feuerwache, Kulturhaus Friedrichshain, Projektraum, Berlin