Galeri Nev Istanbul is pleased to present “Euphony/Percussive Sculptures” by Koray Ariş. On view from the 12th of June until the 24th of July, the show brings together the artist’s sculptures with a musical edge. With a career spanning over fifty years, Koray Ariş has established his name with structured, simple and strong sculptures.
Koray Ariş’s interest in art began at an early stage in his life, influenced by his parents who were both graduates of Istanbul National Academy of Fine Arts. Throughout his childhood, Ariş crafted 3D objects and wooden sculptures. In 1963, Ariş got accepted into Istanbul National Academy of Fine Arts and graduated in 1968. Following his graduation, he travelled to Italy and became a student of Emilio Greco, fellow sculptor and professor at the Fine Arts Academy of Rome. Ariş opened his first atelier in Rome in 1971. A year later, he held his first solo exhibition. His works have been showcased in many European cities, such as Florence, Belgrade and Budapest. Ariş returned to his home country Turkey in 1975, where he has been holding regular exhibitions in both Istanbul and Ankara.
Ariş’s latest solo exhibition at Galeri Nev was held in 2009, followed by a retrospective exhibition in 2012. Using leather and welt as the primary materials for his sculptures, Ariş periodically experiments with alternate techniques and forms. Predominantly recognized for his technique, the artist uses wood and lead as supplements. Up until 1995, Ariş constructed figurative works. Later on, this gave way to more abstract and animated figures, which hold their own equilibrium.
The artist, who since 1995 has opted for sculptures that have a certain balance, surprises the viewers in his current exhibition titled “Euphony/Percussive Sculptures”. This time, he encourages the viewers to touch and listen. He transforms sculpture into the heart of a rhythmic atmosphere, a feast of the senses, in which the sculpture becomes much more than “a beautiful object”. Works of art that initiate an interactive relationship with the viewer become natural instruments that give out different sounds.
The new works of Ariş, completed in the period 2011-2014, are exhibited for the first time in Galeri Nev Istanbul. About his new works, Ariş explains: “My new works are interactive pieces. I wish them to become one with the viewer, when touched and when their sound is heard. With all the works I have produced in the past 20 years, I have encouraged the viewers to touch. My desire for contact with the sculptures, feeling their form by touching, is an indispensable part of my recent works. In my current exhibition entitled “Euphony/ Percussive Sculptures” I invite the viewer to touch the sculptures and make sounds. Every sculpture makes a different sound that come together in euphony. The fact that different sounds co-exist, bring into mind the polyphony and harmony that comes out of diversity.”