Extramucadele

Munich, Rathausgalerie, Hafriyat: Yalan Dunya, 2004
Istanbul, Karsi Sanat Calismalari, Ucumuzden Geldi, 2005
Istanbul, Seven Arts Factory, Untitled, 2005

Halil Altindere and Sureyyya Evren, Eds., User's Manual: Contemporary Art in Turkey 1986-2006, Istanbul 2007, p. 267, illustration of another example in colour (now destroyed)

Condition: This work is in good condition. There are very slight imperfections to the texture. The back of the black base where it is attached to the legs had been restored due to minor medium loss Colours: The colours in the catalogue illustration are very accurate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Extramucadele, Extrastruggle, is a moniker for a fictional graphic design company 'launched' in 1997 as a voice for the minorities in contemporary Turkey; the revolutionary, the Islamist, the intellectual and the rest. Extramucadele stands for the people, representing fictional 'clients' without prejudice by making manifest the various opposing ideologies of Turkish society. In merging the symbols and icons of these movements in witty parodies and humorous caricatures it is the epitome of satire, both slick and intelligent.

In Trakonya the secular and the Islamist meet in a bizarre marriage of a faceless little girl and a domed mosque, her plaits standing on end as a pair of minarets. Such a strange amalgamation reflects what uneasy bedfellows they are in reality.  Even the stark palette seems to represent a struggle, with both the black and the white wrestling for supremacy like figures on a chess board.

Over the past decade Extramucadele has metamorphosed from being pigeonholed as a graphic designer, and has taken his rightful place on the Turkish scene as a truly remarkable conceptual artist with its, frankly brilliant, approach to the socio-politics of its place and time.