Borusan Culture and Arts brings together art enthusiasts and the adventures of musician/DJ Arkın (Mercan Dede) and painter Carlito Dalceggio that run from Montreal to Istanbul. Hailing “inner enlightenment, universal freedom” the exhibition can be visited at the Borusan Music House between 24 May and 25 July 2012. Arkın’s close friend, writer Elif Şafak will prepare a foreword for the exhibition’s art book.

Having put on a music and live painting performance for Borusan Music House’s opening in January 2010, Arkın (Mercan Dede) and Calito Dalceggio are greeting Istanbul again, this time with a colorful, extraordinary exhibition. The artists invite everyone to an inner revolution and enlightenment at Borusan Music House. In “Revolution Revelation”, they come together as visual artists for the first time. Mentioning that they mix heart into the exhibition instead of brains, Arkın and Carlito define themselves as “The Romantic Rebels.”

In “Revolution Revelation”, Carlito Dalceggio represents the “revolution” theme, and Arkın represents the “revelation” theme. “Revolution” is an invitation to get rid of the ego, break away from shells and masks to reach a new level of awareness. “Revelation” describes the inner transformation that follows and completes “revolution”. The two artists see life and their production as a loop that exists within one another. They prove that while they move away from each other, they can pass through the same point as more aware, more enlightened beings.

The s tudio was moved to Istanbul from Montreal

The duo started working on the exhibition in January, at Carlito Dalceggio’s studio in Montreal. After 3 months, they moved their workshop to Istanbul at the beginning of April. They turned Borusan Music House’s first floor into a workshop, where they worked day and night for 40 days. Arkın and Carlito opened their studio to visitors to share their production process with art enthusiasts. Mentioning that the visitors were in awe of the controlled chaos, colorful environment and energy of the workshop, the artists said that most of the time they wanted to pick up a brush and be a part of it. The artists said that sometimes they couldn’t say no to such requests.

The four -meter giant Buddha, cardboard houses and more surprises...

Covering all six floors of the Borusan Music House, “Revolution Revelation” includes around 60 works, including canvas, sculpture, mixed media, installation, music and video work. At the exhibition, Carlito’s canvas and 3D painting works and Arkın’s collage works draw much attention. But one gets the biggest highlight: the four-meter-tall Buddha statue created by both artists. It takes up the second and third floors, where usually concerts take place. The Buddha statue was brought to Istanbul in pieces and assembled in only four days. It gives the viewers the chance to get away from the outside world’s reality even if for a little bit. The four different houses made out of cardboard that surround this giant Buddha come together around a common story. The cardboard houses reveal different details when looked at with 3D glasses and black light, and they welcome guests into their own world with music and video installations. Another work in the exhibition that attracts attention is Carlito’s reference to Picasso’s Guernica, which he always refers to in all his exhibitions.

Not touching is forbidden!

Some of the artworks at the exhibition have a text on them reading “Not touching is forbidden!” This statement is a different approach to the “clinical” feeling of contemporary art galleries. Arkın and Carlito also keep colorful chalks, brushes, paint, a large panel and a typewriter at the exhibition. The fact that guests can touch all the artworks, they say, is one of the most important qualities of the exhibition.

40 thousand photographs tell the exhibition’s story

Parallel to the exhibition, Canadian photographer Jarrett Gibbons’ stop frame animation movie made up of 40 thousand frames of photographs awaits the visitors. The movie is a documentation of “Revolution Revelation”s process from Montreal to Istanbul.

For detailed information on “Revolution Revelation” and the artists’ manifestos, you can visit the website prepared especially for this exhibition at www.revolutionrevelation.be