MEHMET DERE (1979 - İzmir)

Mehmet Dere was born in 1979 in İzmir. He graduated from Faculty of Fine Arts, Painting Department at Dokuz Eylül University. He completed his MA in the same faculty and 2020 completed his PhD in Sakarya University Faculty of Art and Design, Painting Department at Sakarya University. The language that the artist creates in his work exists in an area of many (sociological-psychological) layers that touch one another. The conceptual framework of Dere's early works exists in a political area and deals with the socio-political history of Turkey, its multi-culturalism, identity and creating multi-vocality in terms of belonging and cultural democratization. In terms of form, Dere's generally produce installations through which he can reach the whole from smaller parts. Dere use objects, photos, charcoal patterns and object installations in order to create a personal archive (narrative) in a sense. Also, he create objects based upon the social memory and senses and work on video. In his own words, Dere likes to collect "invisible stories" while creating his works. For the artist, a whole is travelling in time composed of small episodes. Dere constantly feeds his work in this way in their reckoning with and creating reality.

Deriving from Turkey's cultural history, the exhibition consists of a series of ironic and upfront constructions, focusing on a research of local and social memory. While the artist builds his work with the retrieved images of the cultural memory, he poetically includes his own subjectivity to all these captivities. Issues of social injustice, resistance and politics of survival are raised not through the artist's observation as an outsider, but from close range; a perspective precisely constructed by the practices of life. This stance, at times tragicomic, and at times built upon the relationship of patience and suffering, is tackled to be presented to the audience time and again, uninterrupted, and almost prayer like. Looking at Turkey's cultural history, while focused on memory, individual and social identity research, the recent work shows an abstract trend towards poetic lyricism fed by internal reality.

Dere's non-profit art space , located in İzmir ' Gürceşme', also hosts the contemporary art initiative 49A, of which he is the founder. This studio has been founded with the pursuit to create a space where contemporary art can exist in the rhythm of everyday life, open itself up to the world, and interact with its environment. 49A, which is the construct of a visible and sustainable tangible space, thus aims to ensure the accessibility and possibilities of production and host other people's projects in a playfield. The artist, who has opened his first solo exhibitions in this space, is also a longtime member of the K2 Contemporary Art Center in İzmir and has participated in numerous group exhibitions at the center. Additionally Dere has participated in 'When Ideas Become Crime' curated by Halil Altındere at the Tütün Deposu in 2010; 'Port İzmir 2', Silence Storm, 'International Contemporary Art Triennial' ; and the 'I am Here, The Time is Now' exhibition at Rotterdam curated by Ong Keng Sen and sponsored by the European Culture Fund in 2008. He was awarded the special prize at the '27th Contemporary Artists Exhibition' at Akbank Art Beyoğlu. In 2007, he participated in the special project realized at Santral İstanbul in the scope of the 10th İstanbul Biennial. The artist's first comprehensive solo exhibition titled ' Quid rides? De te fabula narratur.' organized at Rampa consists of a series of ironic and upfront constructs focusing on local and social memory research deriving from Turkey?s cultural history.

Education

2000- 04 BA, Painting and Drawing, Dokuz Eylül University. Faculty of Fine Arts, İzmir / Turkey
2013- 2016 MA Painting and Drawing, Dokuz Eylül University. Faculty of Fine Arts, İzmir / Turkey
2016-2020 PHD Painting and Drawing Sakarya Faculty of Art & Design, Sakarya / Turkey

EXHIBITIONS
Group Exhibitions 2020

Mask "Connatıons" Group Exhibition Baksı Museum Bayburt / Turkey

"Drawing the Soul Toward Truth" Online Exhibition, Centre for the Art & Religion, Doug Adams Gallery / Berkeley,U.S.A

"On Paper " Online exhibition, Artimu, Istanbul Medeniyet University

"House" Online exhibition, Artimu, Istanbul Medeniyet University

Group Exhibitions 2019

Sphere ,Crust Collective Exhibition, Bremen/ Germany

Winter is coming,Merdiven Art Space,Istanbul

Group Exhibitions 2018

Hopeless Emptiness / SANATORIUM, İstanbul

Eskiz Hali, Galeri 5 İstanbul

Burada, Haydarpaşa Garı İstanbul

30 x 30 cm ,Collective Exhibition Sakarya University

Group Exhibitions 2016

Indivisible , Kasa Galeri, Sabancı Universıty

Dar Ağaç-Bu arada Group Exhibition İzmir

Art Prints IZMIR , Maquise project Izmir

Istanbul Codex , Imago Mundi Turkish collection

Group Exhibitions 2015

İzler , Tansa Mermerci Ekşioğlu Kollelsiyonu , M1886

Kapalı Kutu , Curated by Stefan Bohnenberger K2 Contemprorary Art Center

Solo Exhibition 2015

Payback İMÇ5533 Non Profit Space

But Now 49A & İO Non Profit Space

Solo Exhibition 2014

Papercut, Zorlu Center & ArtonGalery İstanbul

Group Exhibitions 2014

Üç Oda Bir Yabancı , Maquise project İzmir

Group Exhibitions 2013

...with all the changes that loomed far behind the horizon? Mars Artist Run Space / İstanbul

'Untitled' Exhibition PIlevneli Project / İstanbul

'Social Animals' Group Exhibition Alanistanbul/ İstanbul

Solo Exhibitions 2012

'Everything and Nothing' / Atolye Flash /Izmir

'Black Truths,White Lies' & 49A / İzmir

'First Blood' , MASA / İstanbul

Group Exhibitions 2011

'Deadpan Exchange V' Skopje, Skopje / Macedonia

'Re-Locate' Apartment Project / İstanbul / Turkey

Solo Exhibitions 2011

'Quid rides? De te fabula narratur? Rampa, İstanbul / Turkey

Solo Exhibitions 2010

'One Night Stand' 49A / İzmir / Turkey

Group Exhibitions 2010

'When Ideas Become Crime' Tütün Deposu / İstanbul / Turkey

'Silence_Storm' Port İzmir 2 / International Triennial of Contemporary Art, İzmir / Turkey

'10th Year exhibition' Kasa Gallery İstanbul / Turkey

Group Exhibitions 2009

'Translocation' collaborative exhibition / Atelierhaus Salzamt, Linz / Austria

'Go to Salzamt' exhibition Salzamt Atelierhaus, Linz / Austria

'İddialıyız' Mehmet Dere & Nejat Satı / 49A, İzmir / Turkey

'Şebeke' video screening, Curated by Selim Birsel / Centre d?Art Contemporain Georges Pompidou, Carjac / France

Solo Exhibitions 2008

'Stardust' Mehmet Dere / 49A, İzmir / Turkey

Group Exhibitions 2008

'Heim' Kutu Project / Atelier Frankfurt, Frankfurt / Germany

'Made in Turkey' Positionen Türkischer Künstler 1978-2008, Frankfurt / Germany

'I AM HERE, THE TIME IS NOW' European Cultural Foundation, curated by Ong Keng Sen, Rotterdam / Netherlands

'Work to Room' collaborative project, curated by Övül Durmuşoğlu / Gon Bookstore, İstanbul / Turkey

'Urban Jelaousy' 1st International Roaming Biennial of Tehran / curated by Serhat Köksal & Amirali Ghasemi, Tehran / Iran

'27. Contemporary Artist Exhibition' Special Award, Akbank Sanat Beyoğlu, İstanbul / Turkey

Group Exhibitions 2007
10. İstanbul Biennial Special Project / Santral İstanbul / İstanbul , Turkey

'Off the Record' Parallel Event, Port 07 İzmir, Konak Municipality / İzmir, Turkey

'Unmarked Categories' K2 Contemporary Art Center / İzmir, Turkey

'Endless Possibilities' curated by Adnan Yıldız, Kasa Gallery, İstanbul / Turkey

'All About Lies' collaborative project / Apartment Project, İzmir Port, İzmir / Turkey

Group Exhibitions 2005

'The little, the cheap, the trash and absolutely passionate:' Young Turkish Artists from K2 Artists Initiative, Helsinki / Finland

'DERE & SATI' K2 Contemporary Art Center, İzmir / Turkey

'A Little Break' K2 Contemporary Art Center, İzmir / Turkey

'Alice vs. Alice' artists from K2 artists initiative, Kasa Gallery, İstanbul / Turkey

Group Exhibitions 2004

'Çatı Katı Tavan Arası' Group exhibiton / K2 artists initiative / Turkey

'Notify Me If I'm Faulty' Room: 233, K2 Contemporary Art Center, İzmir / Turkey