One and and the Many

One and the Many is a research-based exhibition that looks into the production and distribution of things. It tackles the period 1955–95 in Turkey, by following the material results of gradual industrialization as well as its contingent infrastructural disposals. The exhibition frames the topic primarily through stories of selected artifacts common to the ’80s, a period when industrial products met a voluminous consumer market for the first time.

The research and narrative of One and the Many are structured around the notion of genuine copies. Questioning our standard expectation of ingenuity versus the opportunity of building atop each other’s ideas, the exhibition suggests a fresh perspective on the history of production in Turkey. From the early-day assembly industry, to today’s abundant copyright infringing replicas, copies have been scrutinized from both economic and intellectual viewpoints. The exhibition brings together artifacts from a variety of industries—automotive, white goods, furniture, toy, stationery, pret-a-porter, textile, food and beverage, tableware, cutlery, and hygiene—inviting users to value things per se, in order to recognize the ingenuity prompted by circumstances and appreciate copying as a method of learning.

One and the Many was produced with rich contributions from collaborating industries, professionals, consultants, academics and students who provided various ideas, content and narrations. The exhibition is part of the five-year program The Uses of Art — The Legacy of 1848 and 1989, organized by L’Internationale.

Future

Emre Hüner / Joanna Rajkowska
September 22–November 12, 2016
SALT Ulus

Alexandra Pirici & Manuel Pelmuş
Public Collection of Modern Art, 2014
October–November 2016
SALT Galata

Oliver Ressler
November 2016–January 2017
SALT Galata