“Fake Mustache” either travels far away, submits, or grits its teeth to protect itself from both autocratic regimes and despair ruled by fear; it reminds us that submitting to violence does not mean accepting it.
Doğu Özgün’s first solo exhibition at x-ist, Fake Mustache shifts the focus of the audience to social deformation caused by autocratic regimes. Fake Mustache depicts the society of which it’s a part, through the metaphor of a kid pretending to be an adult. In this context, Fake Mustache invites the audience into greater depths and explorations which they avoid encountering, in order to wake them from the spell of these venomous sounds that have been made into monuments, and aims to create a safe space where we can take off our strong masks, even for a little while.
The exhibition touches upon the pluralistic cruelty of society. It looks to answer questions such as how people save themselves from the violent language they speak/internalize, or how one particle can put up a fight when the language of violence invades the entire organism. Fake Mustache is not interested in the culprit of the memories/parts that belong to us but we find it hard to own. The exhibition strives to read and understand the intertwined destinies of those who dare to raise their voice, who find it safe to remain silent, and who ban speaking out. Fake Mustache focuses on the knots that create evil, labyrinths of lies, and the solitude in blaming others.
Doğu Özgün’s exhibition “Fake Mustache” is grounded on the relationship between authority and individual and can be visited at x-ist between May 17 and June 24.