Lot 40: HALE TENGER

HALE TENGER B. 1960 AMIDST lead toy soldiers and plastic figure with sheet iron base 126 by 25 by 25cm.; 49 5/8 by 9 3/4 by 9 3/4 in. Executed in 2003, this work is unique.

Istanbul, Galeri Nev, can't come close, 2005
Izmir, K2 Art Centre, alice vs. Alice, 2005, p.19, illustrated in colour

Ahu Antmen, Stranger Within, Istanbul 2007, p. 116, illustrated in colour

Exhibiting at the most prestigious local and international art events since the 1990s, including the São Paolo and Istanbul Biennales, Hale Tenger has proven herself as one of the most important conceptual artists of our time. Her constant dialogue with global issues such as "power, domination, authority, oppression, internalized aggression and violence", (Ahu Antmen, Stranger Within, Istanbul 2007, p. 102) has created a unique vocabulary in her work which is interrelated through the thread of her subject matter.

Collecting ready-made objects since the beginning of her career, Tenger gives them a new character, loading them with social and political meanings. Her sculptures along with her installations, invade the space they are in, inviting the audience to interact with the work and to walk around it in order to take it in completely. Furthermore, the title of her pieces play an exceedingly significant role in the visual imagery she produces, providing insight into the message she hopes to convey.

In Amidst, Tenger has placed a plastic toy with binoculars at the top of a tall block of iron, he stands at the centre of a circle, surrounded by toy soldiers. The civilian man is looking through his binoculars to faraway lands or perhaps to the future in search of a time when he is free. His vision is blocked by soldiers in every way as he is trapped within the spatial confinements of this iron block with no place to run.

This unique sculpture is an ingenious critique on the breakdown of social values, the increasing suppression of governments and the rise of military power and violence in today's world. With this unprecedented work, Tenger has once again created an iconic image based on the struggles of men.