Ahmet Civelek
Number 2: Cycles 

August 1, 2017 – August 22, 2017

In Ahmet Civelek’s practice, destruction is seen as a form of authorship more widespread and accessible than creation. To destroy is to leave one’s own mark on the objects, and to acknowledge that they too can leave a mark on both the artist and viewer. Whether it is a glass, vase, or plate, these objects existed before the intervention and when they are destroyed, their original form changes, thus creating something unique. Civelek’s practice, intensely process based, is a form of respect for the unique nature of each of the objects and materials; it is a study of control.

Untitled (Floor of Destroyed Objects), a variation of Civelek’s performance, Destruction Booth, performed in 2012, Civelek invites the viewer to walk through the debris that remains, breathing new life into these once destroyed objects. “Process is a form of respect for the unique nature of each object, my intention is for others to be apart of this re-contextualization of broken objects into art and art into broken objects.” To accompany Untitled (Floor of Destroyed Objects) are paintings from his Destroyed Object Paintings series; produced from studio visits, Civelek invites visitors to destroy found objects that result in intimate painting compositions. “They change their original form, and imprint themselves upon it... I am fascinated by the way people go about destroying an object. Some people attack the object without concern, others go about it meticulously. So much can be learned about a person while observing this process.”

Ahmet Civelek was born in New York in 1988. He received his BFA from the Pratt institute in 2009 and his Post-Graduate Diploma from Byam Shaw, Central Saint Martins in 2010. Since 2009 Ahmet Civelek’s work has been shown internationally. He currently lives and works in New York City.