Fahrettin Orenli: Money without Nationality
This Spring, Turkish-Dutch artist, Fahrettin Orenli's presents a solo exhibition, Money without Nationality, opening at Pi Artworks London. Money without Nationality is a series of works across drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and poetry, examining the psychological and physical aspects of cities as living organic structures, perceiving them as control towers for the distribution of mass information. A version of the presentation in London at Pi Artworks was shown in Seoul, at Art Sonje Centre, in late 2017, but this is the first time these artworks will have been seen in Europe.
Money without Nationality investigates how humanity has blinkered itself in the process and got lost inside man-made nature, hypnotized by the power of synthetic sunsets placed by their own hands on the horizon, for instance, or by choosing not to recognize certain truths in the name of economic interests.
“Orenli’s art practice has always been in relation to humankind as social beings, whether examining from a historical, geographical, or contemporary point of view, Orenli embodies the role of a ‘wandering Marxist’; his critique on the historical politics of nation and the current political unions with industry, as well as his experiences and observations within urban environments, where he engages in dialogue with the city’s inhabitants, to his interpretation of global political economic theory, together render his conceptualization of ‘currency’ or ‘money.” Huang Chien-Hung, Curator
High Heels, a central series in the exhibition, borrows its title and theme from the story of Turkish writer Omer Seyfettin to ponder the problematic issues contemporary societies in different corners of the world face today. The core message of the story is: "We are aware of our problems, but not wanting to face them, we avoid them." At times these problems are painful, even unbearable to acknowledge, so we stand and stare helplessly, accepting the consequences as though they were the workings of fate. This critical message threads through the project, which explores the invisible workings and hidden powers that allow for financial investments to move under the surface of contemporary life, unbound by and irrespective of borders.
Money without Nationality also connects Orenli’s past and current artistic practices through its focus on knowledge in the present and future, and sustainability/disappearance of accumulated knowledge - even posterior to the end of our physical existence in the universe. His aim is to explore the impact of socioeconomic and political issues by creating sustainable knowledge for the future, and address the ways by which cities are psychologically and physically shaped into complex entities that then assimilate information.
About Fahrettin Orenli
Fahrettin Orenli (b.1969, Turkey) lives and works between Amsterdam, Istanbul and Seoul. He studied at Gerrit Rietveld Academie and Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten, Netherlands. He participated in artist-in-residence programs at the MMCA residency Changdong (2017); Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, Istanbul (2006–07) and ISCP, NY (2003). Örenli was awarded the ABN AMRO Art Prize, Amsterdam (2004) and the Royal Painting Prize, Amsterdam (2000). His works were shown in several international institutions and exhibitions like the Museum of Antioquia, Medellín (2017); DEPO, Istanbul (2016); Stedelijk Museum Bureau, Amsterdam (2015); Istanbul Modern, Istanbul (2014). His next solo exhibition will be shown at Pi ArtWorks (London) and Project Fulfill Art Space (Taipei) in 2018.
