Merkezkaç is an independent art collective which thrives to develop the arts and the artist as well as disseminate their artistic products on a national and international scale. This not-for-profit collective, without relying on any public or institutional entities, collaborates with these formations when necessary and conducts joint projects with other independent initiatives, collectives and artists, always in light of its own principles.
Involved and prone to every single artistic discipline, Merkezkaç carries out personal, social and cultural projects that support and encourage interdisciplinary collaborations that are open to versatile artistic approaches. Our collective which puts great emphasis on emerging artists remains active and supportive throughout the entire artistic production; not only supporting the displaying and exhibiting processes but also the development and implementation phases. By taking an active role in the implementation and coordination of artistic projects, the collective mediates the intersection of these productions with everyday live and different commu-nities, and also works for the sustainability of such processes. In an to unite, transform, blend and develop today’s artistic productions, it conducts curatorial projects, events and activities. It cultivates new local and international co-operations, supports already existing ones and is open to partic-ipation and contribution towards the collective.
Merkezkaç Art Collective continues to carry out its activities as an international centre focusing on research, production, exhibition and sharing with its core team of Remzi Sever, BarışSeyitvan, UğurOrhan and Murat Kartal.
Merkezkaç Art Collective came together in 2015 and started its activities with the ‘Merkezkaç’ exhibition opened in early 2016. The collective participated in national and international exhibitions as well as various artists speeches from time to time. It took part in the 2018 Mardin Biennial. The collective contributed to young artists by organizing artist workshops, contemporary art lessons, workshops in different disciplines. In 2019, the collective opened the exhibition named “Encounters”, an alternative exhibition model between generations in Diyarbakır, Mardin, Istanbul and Izmir.
PASSAGE
Merkezkaç Art Collective is planning a first collective meeting in Diyarbakır, after the exhibition “Encounters”, which it runs together with “Space of Culture”. “Unity is strength!” art principle of operating in various cities in Turkey or abroad, bringing together in Diyarbakir and collective initiatives, aims to perform an exhibition platform. The exhibition aims to turn a former shop space the blend of different cultures in Diyarbakır into the exhibition space of about one month via eight art collectives/initiatives from which different cities of Turkey and abroad. The collectives that come together in the project try to think about social issues such as “identity, power, ecology, alienation, immigration” together with the current problems of contemporary art and try to make suggestions for possible solutions. The exhibition, which is planned to be held in Diyarbakır, then revives an atmosphere of dialogue, to work on what kind of changes collectives have made with their own art practices in the off-center areas and to identify these changes, to discuss collective problems together and to think about them. It provides an environment of connection to young artist candidates and to shed light on the problems of new collectives.
In the forthcoming exhibition to be opened (tbc) it is aimed to create a working and production environment in the collective workshop to be held with young artists during the exhibition process of collectives with different modes of operation and structures. The exhibition, which will be open for a month in accordance with social distance conditions, plans to meet the art audience with panels and online exhibition.
