| Şakir Gökçebağ was born in Denizli, Turkey in 1965. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D degrees from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Marmara University in Istanbul. Besides his exhibitions in Turkey in early 1990s, and later on, following his move to Hamburg, Germany, his works were included in various groups shows across Europe including at Kunsthaus Pasquart in Biel, Switzerland; Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin; Arp Museum, Remagen; Sotheby’s, London; MoCo – Montpellier Contemporain; Museum Ritter, Stuttgart; Arter Contemporary Art Museum, Istanbul. Gökcebag was awarded numerous scholarships and awards, including the George Maciunas Prize, Leo Brauer Prize, Scholarship of DAAD and Markus Lüpertz Prize from Düsseldorf Academy, grant from Stiftung Kunstfonds. Since 2001 – Lives and works in Hamburg |
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The works of Sakir Gökcebag are characterized by lightness, simplicity and silent humour. His works are based on everyday objects such as umbrellas, carpets, shoes which have been cut, shifted, reassembled, multiplied etc. in open spatial constellations. The works of Sakir Gökcebag refer to ornamentation, memory, and the fragility of perception due to how the objects are present both as materiality, image and language. He is especially well-known for his sculptures and installations in which he manipulates different materials to change the usual function of mundane objects, thus rendering the familiar unfamiliar. Simple yet profound, a result of both spontaneity and discipline, rooted in reality but escaping its fixed rules, the work of Sakir Gökcebag is playful and thought-provoking, an invitation to question routine and see beyond the ordinary. |
| AWARDS / GRANTS |
| 2020 Artist in Residence, Windler Stiftung, Switzerland |
| 2016 Leo Breuer Prize, Bonn |
| 2015 Grant of Stiftung Kunstfonds |
| 2013 Publication Grant, Stiftung Kunstfonds |
| 2012 George Maciunas Prize, Wiesbaden |
| 1996 Markus Lüpertz Prize, Kunstakademie Düsseldorf |
| 1995/96 Scholarship of DAAD, Kunstakademie Düsseldorf |
| 1991 State Prize for Painting & Sculpture, Ankara |
| 1991 Scholarship Austrian Government, Summer Academy Salzburg |
| SOLO EXHIBITIONS (selected) |
| 2024 |
| As it seems, (curated by Emre Baykal) Arter Contemporary Art Museum, Istanbul |
| 2022 |
| Twists & Turns, Museum Ritter, Waldenbuch, Stuttgart |
| Perfection, MATJÖ Raum für Kunst, Köln |
| Easy-ier-iest, Kunstverein Münsterland, Coesfeld |
| I Can’t Say it Better, Montoro12 Gallery, Brussels |
| 2021 |
| Redimeyd, FAP, Ferda Art Platform, Istanbul Seven Sleepers, Goldbekhaus Halle, Hamburg |
| 2020 |
| Ornamenta, Q-Gallery für Kunst, Schorndorf |
| Firmament / Remains, Museum Kloster Sankt Georgen, Stein am Rhein, Switzerland |
| 2019 |
| Familiar / Aşina, Baksi Museum, Bayburt, Turkey Freiräume I/II, Goldbekhaus Halle, Hamburg |
| 2017 |
| Golden Cut / Der Goldene Schnitt, Städtische Galerie Nordhorn Things with me / Önüm Ankam Sagim Solum, Adas, Istanbul |
| 2016 |
| Reorientation, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen Brella & Et Cetera, Kunstverein Pforzheim Objectations, gkg – Gesellschaft für Kunst und Gestaltung, Bonn |
| 2015 |
| Think Tank, Galerist, Istanbul Aftermade, Sariev Contemporary, Plovdiv, Bulgaria Shared Place, Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, Paris, France |
| 2014 |
| Horizon, Anningahof, Zwolle / Nederland |
| 2013 |
| Der, Die, Das, (curated by René Block), Gallery Arsenal, Poznan, Poland Portfolio, (curated by Marcus Graf), Platosanat, Istanbul |
| 2012 |
| Prefix & Suffix, (curated by René Block), Kunstraum TANAS, Berlin |
| 2011 |
| Bıyıkaltı, Gallery Apel, Istanbul |
| 2010 |
| Simple Present, Saarländisches Künstlerhaus, Saarbrücken Allreadymade, Gallery Peripherie, Tübingen |
| 2009 |
| Shared Space, Einstellungsraum, Hamburg Tuesday Bazaar, Gallery Apel, Istanbul |
| 2008 |
| Cuttemporary, Kunstverein Leverkusen Following in Fluxus, Gallery Inge Baecker, Bad Münstereifel Half Apple, Gallery Apel, Istanbul |
| 2005 |
| Winter/Sommer Quartett, 3rd Triennial of Photographie, Gallery Grossneumarkt, Hamburg |
| 2004 |
| Spuren, Marstall, Schloss Ahrensburg |
| GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selected) |
| 2024 |
| Suppose You Are Not, Arter Contemporary Art Museum, Istanbul Geometrie Straordinarie, Fondazione Marcello Morandini, Varese/Milano |
| 2023 |
| In_Ordnung, Motorenhalle, Dresden |
| 2022 |
| ThisPlay, Arter Contemporary Art Museum, Istanbul |
| Stay.strong.resilient., Kunsthaus Hamburg |
| Overdose, Design Museum Holon, Tel Aviv |
| 2019 |
| The Event of a Thread: Global Narratives in Textiles, Istanbul Modern COOKBOOK’19, La Panacée, MoCo – Montpellier Contemporain Material in Formation, Niederhreinischer Kunstverein, Wesel modern barock, Städtische Galerie Villa Streccius, Landau ME AT THE ZOO, Kunsthaus Hamburg The Clandestine Life of Objects, Evliyagil Dolapdere, Istanbul Part Whole II, Art On Gallery, Istanbul |
| 2018 |
| First Round, Çarmıklı Collection, Galata Greek School, İstanbul Nostospektif IV, Gallery Apel, Istanbul 99 Kare, Art On Gallery, Istanbul |
| 2017 |
| Der stinknormale Mann, Motorenhalle. Projektzentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Dresden trans-ID, Surp Yerrortutyun Church, Istanbul The best bogus botanical garden, Heliumcowboy Artspace, Hamburg |
| 2016 |
| Illegibility. the contexts of script, Art Stations Foundation, Poznan Art Brussels, Sariev Contemporary, Brussels Concrete Matters, Bank Space Gallery, London |
| 2015 |
| Cut with the kitchen knife, Gallery Kuad, Istanbul Art International & Contemporary Istanbul, Galerist, Istanbul Pulse Miami Beach, Gallery Conrads, Miami |
| 2014 |
| Macht.Wahn.Vision.Rapunzel & Co. , Arp Museum, Bahnhof Rolandseck, Remagen TREUDDK, Gallery Susanne Ottensen, Copenhagen at the Crossroads II, Sotheby’s, London Ornamental Structures , Kunstverein Worms Inattentional Blindness, Gallery Zilberman, Istanbul Unhappy Ready-Made, Gallery Kuad, Istanbul Small is Beautiful, Gallery Kuad, Istanbul |
| 2013 |
| Schnittstelle / Muster III – , Gesellschaft für Kunst und Gestaltung, Bonn Ornamental Structures, Flottmann-Hallen & Städtische Galerie, Herne Macht. Wahn.Vision. , Museum im Deutschhof & Kunsthalle Vogelmann, Heilbronn Auf Schritt und Tritt, Museum Villa Rot, Burgriden – Rot little bit of history deleting…, GPL Contemporary, Vienna |
| 2012 |
| Die Schöne Kunst, Kunsthaus Hamburg Inge Baecker Bochum – Fluxus Ruhrgebiet, Kunstmuseum Bochum |
| 2011 |
| Zwölf im Zwölften, Kunstraum TANAS, Berlin Invasions, Gallery Carolyn Heinz, Hamburg Aktualität und eigenes Werk, Kunsthaus Hamburg |
| 2010 |
| Floating Volumes, 5533, Istanbul; Frize, Hamburg Very Beautiful, Portable Art Project, Istanbul Gewinn Machen, Kunsthaus Hamburg |
| 2009 |
| Taswir – Pictorial Mappings of Islam and Modernity, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin Seriously Ironic, Positions in Contemporary Turkish Art Scene/PasquArt, Kunsthaus Biel, Switzerland Was ist wichtig, Kunsthaus Hamburg |
| 2008 |
| Wirnenneneshamburg, Kunstverein Hamburg You can‘t kiss away a murder, Galerist, Istanbul Istanbul Diptychs: Contemporary Visual and Verbal Positions, Istanbul Center, Brussels Unterschwellig, Kunsthaus Hamburg |
| 2007 |
| Passion of Mankind, Lulea Biennial, Sweden Die Rückseite des Mondes, Kunsthaus Hamburg |
| 2006 |
| Verschwörung der Gleichen, Gallery Weisser Elephant, Berlin NordArt, Büdelsdorf |
| 2005 |
| Ersatzwelten, Kunsthaus Hamburg |
| 2000 |
| 20th Artist of Today, Maya Gallery / Resistance, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul |
| 1998 |
| 19th Artist of Today, AKM, Istanbul / Young Event, Tüyap Istanbul |
| 1990-95 |
| 15th and 16th Artist of Today, Painting and Sculpture Museum, Istanbul 25th and 26th DYO Exhibitions; 8th and 9th Esbank Exhibitions / Turkey 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th, 55th State Painting & Sculpture Exhibitions, Ankara |
| SOLO CATALOGUES / BOOKS |
| Twists & Turns, Museum Ritter, ISBN 9783884236833 |
| Drawdrewdrawn, Books on Demand, ISBN 9783754397961 |
| Bucketbook / seven sleepers, Books on Demand, ISBN 9783754349014 |
| Familiar / Asina, Baksi Museum, ISBN 978-605-66341-6-1 Der Goldene Schnitt, Städtische Galerie Nordhorn, ISBN 978-3-945950-03-6 |
| Minifesto, Distanz Verlag, ISBN 978-3-95476-205-7 |
| Prefix & Suffix, Tanas, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-00-044713-6 |
| Think Tank, Galerist, Istanbul |
| Der, Die, Das, Galeria Miejska Arsenal, Poznan, ISBN 978-83-61886-50-1 |
| Prefix & Suffix, Tanas, Berlin |
| Simple Present, Saarländisches Künstlerhaus Saarbrücken, ISBN 978-3-940517-47-0 |
| Cuttemporary Art, Schleswig-Holsteinischer Landtag, Kiel |
| Spuren, Kulturstiftung der Sparkasse Stormarn, Bad Oldesloe |
| LECTURES / WORKSHOPS / ARTIST TALKS |
| 2024 Artist talk, ARTER Museum, Istanbul |
| 2023 Artist talk, Museum Ritter, Waldenbuch |
| 2023 Artist talk, Topkapi University, Istanbul |
| 2019. Workshop, Museumsberg Flensburg |
| 2018. Lecturer, Sommerakademie Dresden 2018 BASE Talks, Galata Greek School, İstanbul |
| 2016 Artist talk, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen |
| 2016 Artist talk, Kunstverein Pforzheim |
| 2013 Tanas – Dialogues, TANAS, Berlin |
| 2013 Artist talk, Platosanat, Istanbul |
| 2011 Tanas talks, TANAS, Berlin |
| 2010 Workshop, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul |
| 2003-2013 Lecturer, Kunstschule Wandsbek, Hamburg |
| 1989-2001 Lecturer/Assistant Professor, Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts, Istanbul |