less empty maybe / az bos belki

The Turkish contemporary art scene obviously bloomed after the 1990s, and Art-ist Publications represents the most innovative and critical approaches to emerge from this momentum. Art-ist Publications publish debate-oriented texts as well as books that help to create memories and knowledge of the art that is being produced. The series, Contemporary Art Artist Books, are a set of books dedicated to this purpose. Our Artist Books aim to create opportunities for artists who think deliberately, about the very unique and inventive elements of Turkish contemporary art. This was the reason to choose Artist Books as a format. Because Artist Books offer the ideal form for seeing a body of work of a single artist, while recognizing continuity and phases in each particular artists work as well as in the broader art community. Thus, Artist Books both help to understand the oeuvre of an artist, and support the popularity of these art works in Turkey. It should not be forgotten that some of the works of these young artists have never been shown elsewhere in Turkey. By including all the works of an artist in one single book, reviews of their works, and interviews where the artist has the opportunity to express themselves, we are able to present a wonderful in-depth overview of the artist. This series of Art-ist Publications dedicated to young Turkish artists has been prepared in collaboration with Revolver Publishing, who also undertake the task of distributing the books in Europe.

Art-ist Publications, begun this series in 2008 with a book of Ahmet Öğüt: “Informal Incidents”. The second book was of Bashir Borlakov: “Fictional Reality”. The third, of Can Altay: "Pigeons are People". The fourth, Şener Özmen: "A Şener Özmen Book". The fifth, Aslı Çavuşoğlu: “Mercury in Retrograde”. The sixth, Burak Delier: “Displacing Silence”. The seventh is of Canan: “To Hell”. The eighth one, which you are holding now, represents the work of yet another important young Turkish artist named Cevdet Erek: “Less Empty Maybe”.

Cevdet Erek, is known as the main follower ot sound, space and rhythm in Turkish contemporary art scene. The most significant themes seen in his work appear as very controlled intervention (LESS), decisive use of emptiness and voids (EMPTY), and a certain open-endedness (MAYBE). Form is extremely important for Erek. He works with minimal interventions to suggest a certain field/platform and a certain interface. Although he gives hints about his inclinations he doesn't want to determine exactly where our journey will end. Erek do not prefer to refer to his art as a completed, well-integrated art adventure: he enjoys to emphasis the continuity of ambiguity and contingency.

Obviously, equipped with an awareness about sound, space and rhythm, Erek has been one of the major examples of a critical attitude to art in Turkey in 2000s.

We hope Cevdet Erek's genuine contribution to the art world will be more visible as a result of this book.
Texts by: Süreyya Evren.