Stage & Rehearsal 2012

Stage
Installation view, Arter, Istanbul, 2012
(photo credit: Refik Anadol)

Stage I, Sapphire Green
Installation view, Arter, Istanbul, 2012
Aluminium rod and artificial hair, H 282 × W 325 cm
(photo credit: Refik Anadol)

Stage II, Salt and Pepper
Installation view, Arter, Istanbul, 2012
Aluminium rod and artificial hair, H 254 × W 325 cm
(photo credit: Refik Anadol)

Stage III, Platinum Blonde
Installation view, Arter, Istanbul, 2012
Aluminium rod and artificial hair, H 235 × W 340 cm
(photo credit: Refik Anadol)

Stage IV, Marron with Copper Red Strands
Installation view, Arter, Istanbul, 2012
Aluminium rod and artificial hair, H 280 × W 290 cm
(photo credit: Refik Anadol)

Stage V, Scarlet Red
Installation view, Arter, Istanbul, 2012
Aluminium rod and artificial hair, H 278 × W 290 cm
(photo credit: Refik Anadol)

Stage VI, Brunette with Light Blue
Installation view, Arter, Istanbul, 2012
Aluminium rod and artificial hair, H 248 × W 340 cm
(photo credit: Refik Anadol)

Installation view, Sound of Spaces, Museum Villa Stuck, Munich, 2021
(photo credit: Jahn Averwerser)

Installation view, Sound of Spaces, Museum Villa Stuck, Munich, 2021
(photo credit: Jahn Averwerser)

Rehearsal I
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal II
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal III
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal IV
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal V
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal VI
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal VII
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal VIII
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal IX
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal X
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XI
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XII
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XIII
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XIV
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XV
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XVI
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XVII
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XVIII
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XIX
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)

Rehearsal XX
Aluminium rod and artificial hair
W 50 cm, variable length
(photo credit: Hadiye Cangökçe)
Stage transforms Arter’s third floor into an open performance area
composed of stage units. These units consist of approximately
three-metre-long hairpieces produced using artificial hair of varying
colours.
Their scale is adapted to that of the exhibition space, which reminds the viewer simultaneously both of a hairstyle enlarged to the scale of a real stage curtain and of stage curtains made out of hair Aladağ gave each of these stages names such as Stage I, Sapphire Green that resemble sample titles in artificial hair catalogues.
Although
she refrained from providing clues regarding the gender of the Stages, each of these might be perceived as female characters since
long and well-coiffed hair immediately suggests the assumption of a
female bearer. On the other hand, the artificiality of the material
casts a shadow over any possible inferences the viewer may carry out on
the basis of their models and colours. The exhibition space becomes an
open performance area where the visitor can adopt the position of the
viewer or take a further step to become the one staged and perform the
character/stage they feel familiar with.
Stage cannot be easily classified as sculpture, installation or performance. While the title conjures up a performance stage or the idea of staging, the work also refers to the idea of gender identity through its material and form. Nevin Aladağ thus opens a space in which the viewer can reconsider the performative aspect of gender and actively take the stage to perform.