Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul
As the name “Istanbul Diary: Tour-Retour” implies, the exhibition is composed of works inspired by what Düsseldorf based artist Paul Schwer saw during his trips to Istanbul between 2007-2012. The heart of Spot On #6 is the work entitled “Galata”. Paul Schwer, who has been using “light” as a material for approximately a decade, creates a unique “sculptural interpretation” based on different interpretations of lighting elements such as florescent lamps and light bulbs. “Light sculptures”, a new term in art history, led the way to many different approaches when artists who were seeking new materials in the 1960s wanted to integrate the visual qualities of electrical lighting into their works.
“Galata” is like a column which can be looked at from four different perspectives. The spine of the work is composed of neon lamps and is surrounded by a translucent, transparent plexiglas. The artist covers all four façades of the column with serigraphic prints that are composed of the photographs he took; they are covered with transparent folios or abstract compositions applied directly onto plexiglas.
