:hang:me:performance:2023:
:''Hang Me'' is a performative painting installation by Adyali realized in September,
2023 in Istanbul, specifically in the Kadikoy and Uskudar neighborhoods.
Adyali, with the aim of bringing her artworks into contact with the audience, placed a total of 65 paintings - 48 on canvas and 17 acrylic paintings on paper - on the streets with tags saying
"Hang Me", presenting them to the viewers for their appreciation.
The goal of this performance, which involves taking her works out of the studio, is to encounter people who appreciate or are interested in her work and have them take and cherish Adyali's paintings from the streets for free.:
:MANIFESTO:OF:Hang:Me:
:I am Adyali.
I realized a performative installation exhibition that lasted for 4 days, in which I placed 65 paintings on the streets with labels saying "Hang Me," after taking them out of my studio, where I have been painting since 2018. I left my artworks that holds the feelings, and thoughts passed through me and my studio back to the streets that inspired me.
My aim was to provide an unexpected exhibition experience to audiences who do not expect to encounter art and to gather interaction from my potential audience, as well as to ensure that my works are in circulation. Although I cannot predict where their journey will continue after the studio, it is very valuable to me even if an art lover takes them and hangs them in their home, or if they are sold in a junk dealer’s car for the value of the canvas. Because, ultimately, I know that my paintings are now in the circulation of life.
Another goal of this installation was to increase interaction with art by having any work of art on any street that anyone can pass by, in this period when we are experiencing the peak of digitalization, by turning an image we see on social media into a medium that can be contacted in its real size. For me, it is of great importance in terms of the overall development of the relationship with art that the viewers see the artworks in unorganized and non-sterile environments outside of museums, galleries, and art spaces and that they can touch the artworks if they wish.
I think the ability to own works for free if one likes them is another important issue that needs to be examined in today's art consumption. Ultimately, an artist should be busy with being inspired, molding with feelings and thoughts, and creating. Sales and marketing skills should not be expected from artists. Although it is a competitive field, in this business world where everyone and everything is turned into products and brands, the artist should be excluded.
My second performance, "Hang Me" which I embarked on with the understanding that art can be exhibited outside of art spaces, carries motivations similar to my first performance which is the Insargi Street Exhibition. Because I believe that art appeals to anyone who feels and thinks and is beyond being a human activity that can only be understood, discussed, and owned by some elite groups.:
:Adyali says,
‘‘I wanted my creations to be out in the world rather than collecting dust in a warehouse. Let an art lover take them home; let someone who values recycling paint over them; they could continue their journey to be sold for the material value in a second-hand store... Who knows where my paintings will end up from there?
In my opinion, what matters is that the feeling that led to my creation has passed through my body and been reflected on the canvas, and it has set off on its journey to find its new place.’’
Continuing to criticize the commodification of contemporary art,
Adyali adds, ‘‘I wanted my paintings to appear before people, just like an image that comes across us while scrolling on social media.
I wanted them to feel like an unexpected studio visit in the midst of everyday life, without the confines of a gallery setting.
I wanted the viewer to express their admiration, satisfy their curiosity by touching the painting even, turn it around and look at its front and back, and not give up on taking the piece home they associated with themselves because they think, 'I wonder how much it would cost if I decided to buy it.'’’
She further states,
‘‘To experience these feelings, people go gallery hopping for a day and go beyond just taking a photo of an artwork with their phone that they can never own. Art should be consumable by everyone, deeper connections should be made as much as needed, and artists should do their part to lower the threshold for art to be accessible…’’
Describing the encounters resulting from the performance, Adyali says, ‘‘In the end, during this 4-day coincidental installation process, the 65 'tools' I produced were distributed to the streets. During the exhibition process, I received many positive comments.
Among the positive comments, there are also interactions from older individuals who approached me with curiosity and asked what I was doing. With these in mind, I will now continue to create with a new perspective, and add and pour myself to the streets and life.:
- Gazete Sanat World Interview, 2023
© Adyali 2024