Serkan Yüksel's seventh solo exhibition, titled "Progress-Regress," will be presented to the audience at x-ist from February 29 to March 30, 2024.
The exhibition takes its name from the short story "Progress-Regress" in Julio Cortazar's book "Instructions." In this story, Cortazar illustrates the struggle of a Hungarian scientist against flies by inventing a flytrap to catch them. With the invention of the trap, the enjoyable life of the flies turns unpleasant, thus breaking the delicate bond between humanity and flies. Inspired by this story, the artist explores the complexity of the relationship between humans and nature and examines their impact on each other.
Additionally, Yüksel draws inspiration from David Cronenberg's 1986 film "The Fly," where a scientist, after a malfunction in a teleportation experiment resembling a ribcage, transforms into a fly. By studying how this situation leads to societal criticisms, the artist focuses on questioning society's understanding of progress and the impact of technology on nature.
Using metaphorical narratives, irony, and caricatured situations, the artist critiques the current societal, political, and sociopolitical dynamics. The exhibition guides viewers to contemplate the concepts of progress and regress in society through the relationships between flies, humans, and nature. In societies with constantly increasing populations, it encourages reflection on the perspectives on nature and the economic implications.
"Progress-Regress" can be viewed at x-ist's Karaköy Juma Building from February 29 to March 30, 2024, between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM from Tuesday to Saturday.