Erdem Tasdelen
will launch a double-exhibition in Vancouver at the
(CAG) this month.
The Quantified Self Poems
and
Wild Child
run from January 13th to March 19th. Erdem is a Turkish multimedia artist based in Toronto. His work has been exhibited internationally to acclaim, including in Germany and Switzerland.
The Quantified Self Poems
Presented in the CAG’s windows,
Self Poems
consists of twelve screen prints. Erdem worked with data scientist
Ali Bilgin Arslan
and Vancouver poet
Daniel Zomparelli
to help flesh out his concept. Three times a day for three months Erdem confessed his moods to “Emotion Sense,” a self-help app developed by University of Cambridge researchers. His feelings were then converted into data (“quantifying the unquantifiable”). Ali helped develop an algorithm, turning the raw data into words provided by a special lexicon created by Daniel. The thought-provoking sentences, as seen below, are the result.
Wild Child
Adapted from a curious ethnography,
An Historical Account of the Discovery and Education of a Savage Man
by Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, an 18th century physician who documented his attempts to tame a feral child,
Wild Child
reveals the dynamics at play through differing representations of human nature. The double video installation sets the adaptation in contemporary British Columbia. One video shows a cast of 12 actors auditioning for a filmed documentary. The second video contrasts human interaction in the first with images of lush, uninhabited forests — nature in all its unmitigated glory.
Wild Child
will be exhibited in CAG’s events room.
is a non-profit public art gallery dedicated to the research, exhibition, education and documentation of contemporary visual art. It is located at 555 Nelson St. in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood. Admission is free.
Mark Abbott is a journalist, writer and editor covering arts and culture. He lives in Vancouver.
Follow Mark: @markabbott604