Manifesta purposely strives to keep its distance from what are often seen as the dominant centres of artistic production, instead seeking fresh and fertile terrain for the mapping of a new cultural topography.
Halil Altındere, TR
Security Tree, 2021– 2026. Galvanised iron, 60 iron surveillance cameras 200 × 200 × 450 cm.
Halil Altındere works across various mediums and collaborates with ballet dancers, opera singers, hip hop artists, guides, police officers and architects. Mainly known for his works inquiring political, social and culture codes, and addressing resistance against oppressive systems, Altındere chooses to bring up these issues by working with the people having first-hand experience and turning himself into a mediator. His recent works mostly focus on fantastically absurd situations which he encountered in daily life. A refugee astronaut, a dwarf security guard, a transgender mermaid or an Olympic team consisting of unsheltered people appear in the moments when the artist forces the audience to face the poignant realities that seem unreal.