Electric Mannerism: Hande Şekerciler, featuring works by ha:ar

About

Opening on 13th January, Electric Mannerism presents a dynamic start to the year by bringing together a series of sculptures, light boxes and NFTs to explore the theme of the human ‘self’ as well as the intersection between the plastic arts and new media technology. 

Born in 1982 in Bursa, Turkey, Şekerciler attended Marmara University, studying in the Department of Arts and Crafts Education from 1998 to 2002. Following exhibitions in leading institutions in Ankara, Venice, and Milan, Şekerciler is internationally recognised for her bronze and marble figures inspired by the art of the Hellenistic and Renaissance periods. The artworks from these periods act as a stimulus for her exploration of the notion of the ‘ideal’ and the multifaceted nature of the human ‘self’. 

This exhibition will showcase Şekerciler’s most multidisciplinary body of work to date. In addition to her patinated bronze sculptures, the exhibition will display a series of lightboxes, video art and NFTs – available via NFT platform SuperRare – made in collaboration with the innovative new media artist Arda Yalkin. 

Working between Istanbul and New York, Şekerciler and Yalkın established ha:ar with the desire to combine a classical approach to art with new technologies. In Electric Mannerism, the artist duo reinterpret the compositions of Mannerist paintings of the Late Renaissance (1520 – 1600) to offer a new view on the contemporary ‘self’. The celestial bodies within enigmatic compositions, as seen in paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, for example, provide the template for the digitally crafted figures in the glowing lightboxes and NFT videos by ha:ar. Every element of their work is characterised by Mannerist dramatic bodily tension, yet contrastingly the figures are stripped of clothing, lack identifiable features and are intrinsically linked to new media technology. This so-called “purification” is an attempt to free the figures from gendered or societal labels, offering an important axis for self-reflection.

Engaging the viewer through bronze sculptures, new media art and NFTs, Electric Mannerism not only offers the public a multisensory experience, but also explores the mirroring of digital and tangible realities, raising critical questions surrounding the shifting landscape of fine art and the expressive possibilities of new media technology. 

Hande Şekerciler has exhibited internationally in notable collections, which include Elgiz Museum, Istanbul, Turkey, and the Artist Causa Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece. She was also awarded artist residencies including Artist Alliance International, New York, Unlimited, New York and 18th Street, Los Angeles. Her sculpture ecstasy self-portrait no:1 was featured in the Mayfair Sculpture Trail in 2020 at Grosvenor Square. 

Electric Mannerism is a travelling exhibition. It started its journey in Cer Modern, Ankara and later expanded out to different places such as, GAD, Venice and Scalo Lambreta, Milan. 

About ha:ar:
Hande Şekerciler and new media artist Arda Yalkın established ha:ar with the desire to combine a classical approach to art with new technologies. Their passion for mastering production and exploring new possibilities of expression has led the duo to work in a wide range of fields including video, animation, music, generative art, and even artificial intelligence, as well as conventional methods such as painting and sculpture. Seeking new and original forms of expression by blending their individual practices, the main subject of ha:ar’s works can be summarised as “conflict with the civilisation created by humanity, the technology it produces and the way of existence.”

ha:ar has completed programmes at Residency Unlimited (NYC), Artist Alliance International (NYC) and 18th Street Art Center (LA). They opened their first exhibition in New York in 2018 and have gone on to participate in CADAF 2019 as part of Art Miami and Contemporary Istanbul in 2018, 2019, and 2020.  In 2021, they opened solo exhibitions in Ankara, Venice and Milan. The duo’s works have been exhibited in museums, art fairs and galleries in Turkey, USA, Spain, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Hungary, Greece and Russia.

ha:ar is also the co-founder of the Piksel New Media Residency Program, a non-governmental organisation that seeks to teach young artists about new media art.