FINGERPRINT

ALİCAN LEBLEBİCİ

15 DECEMBER 2015 - 30 JANUARY 2016

PİLOT will be hosting Fingerprint, the first solo exhibition of young artist Alican Leblebici, between 15 December 2015 and 23 January 2016. 

Alican Leblebici, who is known for his portraits and self-portraits, conceived the exhibition that presents a collection of new works on three mainstays. Tattoos, (self-) portraiture, body and identity politics as well as criminal policies form the backbone of the exhibition.

For centuries tattoos have conveyed different meanings and served different functions; a way of gracing the body, a mark of punishment, a badge of affiliation to a group / a tribe, or a symbol of loyalty to a leader / a loved one. Today it has become a popular object of the consumer culture, widely available regardless of class, gender and occupation, and even fashionable accessories. Leblebici has chased up a number of “genuine” tattoos, which he sees as sub-cultural signs and portrayed the tattoos associated with criminals, marginalized and sub-cultural groups instead of the tattoos that we see on bodies idealized by the current cultural values. “Always Hope” that traces the underground punk culture in Istanbul, “Half Open” that recalls the days spent in a half-open prison in Russia as well as the tattoo of the signature “K.Atatürk” that has become the expression of loyalty for the late leader explore links between tattooing and identity. 

The first work in his portraits’ series is his larger-than-life self-portrait. He then takes the photograph of this original painting executed in a photorealist style, and uses these passport-size prints in different identification cards including a national ID card and a library card. Among the works on display will be the original painting, the passport-size photos as well as the identity cards.

In “Armor” - the work with a focus on innocence - he turns his rib cage into a butterfly with one simple gesture. In front of this painting we see the piece depicting a usual suspect’s X-ray images taken while in custody. Frontal and profile mug shots are now replaced by imaging machines that reveal the inside of the body. Leblebici invites the audience not only to look into his eyes, but also to look through his soul. The recent “Selfie-Portrait” reveals the issue of loneliness and frenzy of getting likes through the selfie pandemic. Unlike the quick and ready-to-upload selfies, the “Selfie-Portrait” took over 200 hours to finalize.

For the artist who aims to plot the points of contact where violence meets aesthetics, this first solo exhibition will be the abstract chapter of a long-term artistic production. The exhibition will run until 23 January 2016.