Ghaith Mofeed

Opening event: Saturday, October 31, 4:00-6:00 pm
Exhibition date: October 31 – November 28, 2015
Open: Saturdays, 12:00 pm-6:00 pm
İMÇ 5. Blok No: 5533, Unkapanı-Istanbul

Proto5533 presents The value of a cell, an exhibition of new work by artist/curator Ghaith Mofeed, which looks at the value of value, meaning the moment when we come to understand the real value of what we have, in relationship to what we're gaining and what we're losing.

The exhibition is made of three works, which are the culmination of one year of research following his ancestors journey across six generations. The first work, The Value of Value, 2015. is a version of traditional calligraphy, that is normally hand made, in one or two colors, and in this case computer generated in many colors. The text translates as “If the precious is lost, let there be no regret if the meretricious has vanished too”. The second work, Beyoflu, 2015, consists of a pot filled with earth from the Istanbul neighborhood, Beyoğlu, and seeds from another place, Of, Trabzon in the Black Sea region. “I went to get a plant, got seeds. The words of my relatives there made me realize how many plants I am already seeding. Syrians we were born. Our view is not the same anymore, it has been scattered here and there, along with our value, scattered on the sand, and we've been told to collect it with bear feet on a windy day.” 1.

The central work, The Journey of a Cell, 2015, is a wall installation charting the journey of two men, the son of a counselor to the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamit, and his son. A tale of two parts, the viewer witnesses these people (including their cells), returning full circle to the place of origin. “Humans first ventured out of Africa some 60,000 years ago, they left genetic footprints still visible today. By mapping the appearance and frequency of genetic markers in modern peoples, we create a picture of when and where ancient humans moved around the world. These great migrations eventually led the descendants of a small group of Africans to occupy the farthest reaches of the Earth.” 2 The Journey of a Cell, is not only about the significance of these specific men's journeys, it is about the human journey, and in particular, the journey that is still going on today.

1. Ghaith Mofeed
2. National Geographic, The National Genographic, “The Human Journey”

Ghaith Mofeed is Syrian, living in Istanbul since 2012 and works for several Istanbul and International based arts organizations, such as, Protocinema, RLV Projects, Paradise Row, Istanbul Biennial and The Moving Image art fair. He is a fluent English and Turkish speaker.

Special Thanks to: Volkan Kaya, Robbie Lee Valentine, Çelenk Bafra, Dini Colabewala, Derek Saintclair, Samir Mofeed ve Nihad Nadam.

Proto5533 presents exhibitions by emerging artists and curators, with guidance from art professionals, mentor curators, from Istanbul and abroad. Proto5533 is a collaboration by Protocinema, an itinerant, site-aware art organization, protocinema.org, and 5533, off-space run by artists Nancy Atakan and Volkan Aslan, imc5533.blogspot.com.tr, bringing together an active generation and providing the relationships and tools to nurture its meaningful growth. Selected Curators: Naz Cuguoğlu, Kevser Güler, Mehmet Kahraman, Ghaith Mofeed, Nicole O'Rourke, Ilhan Ozan, Ulya Soley. Mentor Curators: Celenk Bafra, Curator, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul; Anne Ellegood, Senior Curator, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Övül Durmusoğlu, Independent Curator Berlin/Istanbul; Anthony Huberman, Chief Curator, Wattis ICA, San Francisco; November Paynter, Associate Director of Research and Programs, SALT; Yasmil Raymond, Associate Curator, Museum of Modern Art, New York; Mari Spirito, Director, Protocinema, Istanbul/New York; François Quintin, Director Fondation d'entreprise Galeries Lafayette, Paris.