Unreal Realities, a collective exhibition currently being held by Sevil Dolmaci Dubai, delves into the interplay between the essence of nature and the juxtaposition of the imaginary world. It presents works by 12 distinguished artists: Robert Janitz, Ekrem Yalçındağ, Ahmet Oran, Fuse*, Ali Nassir, Nejat Satı, Jacopo Di Cera, Gençay Aytekin, Ryaskartstyle, Igor Skaletsky, Sinan Saül, and Fabrizio Plessi. The show will end on 30 August 2024.
The works on view, which span oil paintings to digital art pieces, reflect their creators’ exploration of their relationship with reality and the world of nature. Drawing inspiration from many sources (for example, ancient cave paintings, the patterns of human cells, and daily life), each artist emphasises the versatility of artistic expression.
In his practice, Robert Janitz (b. 1962, Germany) employs a technique that involves layering and texturing, which results in art pieces oscillating between painting and relief. His application of materials encourages one to decipher forms from his tactile surfaces.
Using geometric and repetitive patterns in his works, Ekrem Yalçındağ (b. 1964, Turkey) creates forms evoking a sense of timelessness. Meanwhile, to produce another of his paintings, Ahmet Oran (b. 1957, Turkey) puts a lump of paint on a spatula, spreads it all over a canvas, and then begins to uncover the layers underneath. The final artwork obtains 3D qualities, suggesting a problematic essence that is unknown and invisible.
Fuse*, an Italian art studio established by Luca Camellini and Mattia Carretti in 2007, explores the expressive possibilities of technologies, seeking to interpret the complexity of human, social, and natural phenomena. The studio creates multimedia installations and performances examining the boundaries between various disciplines to find new connections between light, space, sound, and movement.
Ali Nassir‘s (b. 1951, Iran) paintings revolve around the interplay of form, colour, movement, and composition. They incorporate urban symbols, natural elements, or unexpected juxtapositions of objects that would never coexist in real life.
In his art pieces, Nejat Satı (b. 1982, Turkey) examines cultural hybridity and transculturality as conditions of our globalised lives. His latest vibrant paintings layer colour fragments with applications and scrapings of impasto and phosphoric material, conveying complex psychological histories and emotions.
Artist and photographer Jacopo Di Cera (b. 1981, Italy) is renowned for his photo projects, such as Fino alla Fine Del Mare (To the End of the Sea) (2016) dedicated to migration; Il Rumore dell’Assenza (The Sound of Absence) (2019) that focuses on the earthquake of Amatrice; and Mi-Ro (2020) devoted to commuting, to name a few.
Gençay Aytekin (b. 1984, Turkey), one of the representatives of the new era of pop art, uses bright colours and dynamic lines in his artworks, which are informed by his childhood fascination with cartoons. Aytekin analyses the challenges of existence and adulthood with a childlike naivety.
With his practice rooted in street art, Ryaskartstyle (Dmitry Mironov) (b. 1993, Russia) produces deliberately simplistic works depicting ideal spaces without human presence: there is only room for “absence”. Although characterised by lively colours and open geometry of forms, his creations hide the tragedy of man in civilised society under the celebration of decorativism.
Igor Skaletsky (b. 1978, the USSR) creates digital collages featuring painting details. His artworks brim with grotesque images from the world mass media and classic West European culture.
Sinan Saül‘s (b. 1989, Turkey) dark works aim to provoke the spectators’ attention and encourage them to reject mediocrity. The uncanny figures and disturbing images typical of Saül’s art reinforce the Art Brut attitude of the pieces he produces without caring about the common aesthetic perceptions.
Famous video artist Fabrizio Plessi (b. 1940, Italy) has used water as the central inspiration for his installations, films, performances, and sculptures since 1968. An early champion of electronic techniques, he is interested in blurring the boundaries between the arts and sciences.
The exhibition immerses visitors in a world where the lines between the natural and the artificial are not just blurred, but beautifully intertwined. Each piece in this exhibition invites the viewer to reconsider their perception of reality, encouraging a deep, personal reflection on their relationship with nature.
To learn more about Unreal Realities, please visit the official web page of the show.
You might also like Immortal Mirror, a solo exhibition by Aref Montazeri.