The Seventh Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

You’ve described the ‘Rulers and Rhythm Studies’ series as ‘not timelines themselves . . . [but] timeline makers’. 1 In these works, there seems to be an attraction to an ‘undoing’ of the exactness and standardisation of measurement that’s so dependable in a normal ruler. Is this a conscious attempt to prompt the viewer to think differently about their experiences and understandings of things like time and memory? Yes, absolutely. You’ve been developing this view since 2007. Have the ideas behind this work changed over time? Yes, it kept on transforming or expanding. The latter ones were trying to answer some curiosities which appeared after learning from the earlier ones. To give examples: Ruler Near 2011 includes future years (which are going to be past one day), which the ‘Ruler 1’ series didn’t have. Ruler Now 2011 doesn’t even have a last point/mark. In the words of David Bowie: ‘Time may change me, but I can’t trace time’. 2 Your work seems to highlight how abstract time is, despite all the regiments we place on it. Is this work about your pursuit of something ultimately intangible? I am trying to highlight the abstractness of it, that’s for sure, but I am also trying to stress how concrete human memories and perceptions, numbered times, anniversaries, important dates or repeating events, are. You’ve come to visual arts from an interesting background — you’re an architect, you have a doctorate in music and you’re also a founding member (and drummer) of what’s been called one of the ‘giants of Turk-Rock’ the band Nekropsi. 3 How do these interests coalesce (or compete) in your art practice? These interests were triggered naturally, and related practices were realised with effort [smile]. They all, in addition to others, functioned as a part of education and experience, which I wouldn’t probably have had in an art school. Not that there’s much of a competition any more, as there’s been a real solidarity among all. Rhythm is a central concept in your work and you’ve said that your interest comes from speed and thrash metal music. 4 How do you get from the chaos and intensity of such music to the refined and almost minimal aesthetic of your sound and installation works? This quote came from an article originally written for Gaîté lyrique . And I said that to provoke the reader, but more the interviewer, actually. Of course, what I am doing with my practice doesn’t come from there, but I heard the word ‘rhythm’ for the first time when I was a drummer in that sort of band in high school, which somehow started my involvement with both rhythm (here, musical rhythm) and sound (as a maker, with tools). ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson could be another answer. Aesthetically speaking, most of my output could be described as refined, reduced or minimal, especially in the visible or audible form. But there are a thousand streams which are feeding the waters running to the sea, and not all of them are pure. You are one of seven artists from West Asia, brought together under the 0 – Now project in APT7. This project links closely with one of the Triennial’s central themes — that of the relationship to place at a time of rapid urbanisation and flux (of people, trade and ideas). Have these issues directly influenced you in your home of Nisantasi in Istanbul? Let me start with this: ‘0 – Now’ is the name of the second ruler in the series, in the chronological order of production dates. With it, I tried to cancel the usage of scale (years and months) and starting date, as well as assigning a moving ‘now’ (the moment of reading ‘now’ on the ruler), after producing Ruler 1 (Cairo) 2007. For me, the Ruler 0 – Now 2008 was on any ‘time’; its start and now assigned by the viewer, which would, for sure, also include the urban everyday. Not on this work, but in general and directly, yes, living in a central point in such a city affects one. Coming back to the project, I am ever curious to see how the title connects to the content of the West Asian part of APT7. Interviewed by Sarah Stutchbury, September 2012. 1 Cevdet Erek blog post, 19 September 2011, <http://cevdeterek.com >, viewed 27 September 2012. 2 David Bowie’s ‘Changes’ appears on his 1971 album Hunky Dory . 3 Stefan Franzen, ‘Rock avant-garde from the Bosphorus’, The International Artist Database , <http://www.culturebase.net/artist. php?4137>, viewed 27 September 2012. 4 Kaya Genç, ‘Cevdet Erek: From speed metal to the biennial’, 22 September 2011, Gaîté lyrique , <http://www.gaite-lyrique.net/en/ gaitelive/cevdet-erek-from-speed-metal-to-the-biennial-%5Bfield_ sous_titre-raw%5D>, viewed 27 September 2012. CEVDET EREK An interview 238