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The exhibition project of Sinopale 4 proposes to invite artists and curators to deal with the notion of spreading information not through light but through shadows and darkness as a response to the existing global politics in relation to the development projects in city of Sinop.

Sinopale 4, 2012

Wisdom of Shadow: Art in the Era of Corrupted Information

August 1 – August 26, 2012

Conceptual Framework

This exhibition project proposes to invite artists and curators to deal with the notion of spreading information not through light but through shadows and darkness as a response to the existing global politics in relation to the development projects in city of Sinop. The artists are mainly invited to produce interactive work to receive the direct involvement of the residents of the city. Most of the selected artists will be using open source digital technologies, not only for practical reasons for their art production means, but also for the philosophical stand of the open source platform for sharing information and knowledge as opposed to the dominant knowledge production and distribution systems. The artists are not only invited to involve the public in their interactive work dealing with shadow and hidden connotations, but also to provide a variety of workshops to increase public awareness around the decisions about their city, following the prevailing nature of the Sinopale.

Light is a problematic matter in exhibition making as it inevitably causes the “redundant” shadows with itself. When installing an artwork, the usual tendency for the art producer, curator or exhibition designer is to avoid shadows as much as possible, and ignore the unavoidable ones, unless they are not intended to be a component of the work. With an unwritten agreement, the viewer also follows this tendency. If they pass in front of a projection, or a light source in an exhibition space, they tend to quickly leave the territory of the light, not to be an obstacle, casting a shadow over the actual image. The use of shadow as a medium, intentionally or unintentionally deals with this kind of denial, and invites the viewer’s attention to the unwanted and uncanny images. It creates a direct link between the audience and the artwork, crating space for the viewer to become a part of the work to be viewed. It does not only have boundless possibilities for interactivity and playfulness that opens up a space for collective memory, joy and expression, but also provides an alternative space for spreading information. The project can be perceived as the extension of the conceptual framework of the 3rd Sinopale, titled Hidden Memories, Lost Traces.

Wisdom of Shadows is designed as homage to one of the cynic philosopher from the Ancient Greece,Diogenes of Sinope, who not only did defend the importance of simplicity in life but also did he practice it in his daily living sincerely. As, according to the myth, he requested Alexander the Great to stop blocking his sunshine, the exhibition questions the possibility to create an awareness together with the residents of the city to perform an alike gesture to the authorities that are taking part with the global politics, disregarding the sustainable life that metaphorically and literally comes from the Sun.

Curators: 

1. Main Exhibition: ”Wisdom of Shadow: Art in the Era of Corrupted Information”
Historical Sinop Penitentiary, Sinop City Library

Curators: Aslı Çetinkaya, Elke Falat, Işın Önol, Dimitrina Sevova, Janet Kaplan, Beral Madra, Sean Kelly,

2. “Deep in Soviet Georgia, They’re Singing the Songs of Friendship”
Sinop City Library

Curator: Ana Riaboshenko

3. Sinopale Academy Workshops Results
Venues in the City Centre

Curators: Mürteza Fidan, Andrea Zaumseil

4.”Now Wakes the Sea”

Curator: Jacqueline Heerema, Ronald Boer (landscape architect), Eliane Esther Bots (artist/filmmaker)

5. ”Caronte 1 – L’ile Flottante ”
Sea, venues in the City Center

Curators: Francesco Ragazzi and Francesco Urbano

Read more about Sinopale