idea manufacturer, general director of the dream factory
War and Peace
19.10.2024
Opening 18:00 Uhr
WELTRAUM
Schneidergasse 15, 1110 Wien
“War and Peace” is not an exhibition, but a cry, a cry in pictures.
It is a cry dedicated to people who have not seen peace since the day they were born. “War and Peace” is the history of humanity, which has sworn since the beginning to destroy its own species. The exhibition “War and Peace” compressed this history in the entrance and basement of Schneidergasse No. 15 in the 11th district of Vienna from October 19 to November 28, 2024 .
In the words of Hüseyin Işık: I have been at war since the day I was born.
The last century was the century of wars, massacres and genocides, this century is no different.
Sometimes the war is very close to me, sometimes a few streets away, but thanks to newspapers, television and social media, it is always right next to me.
The interior of my room, my studio, the bed I lay in, the streets I walked through, the places I went to - all of them were a battlefield for me.
But I am not a warrior. I neither give nor take orders.
I can only write and draw... Only when humanity ends will peace come.
Why "Republic of Hüseyin"?
I was born in a republic. I believed that it was a democratic, secular republic. With great pain and suffering, I gradually realized that this was not the case.
At home, a different language was spoken than outside on the street. At the time, I thought that every house had its own language and that the language outside was simply a common, official language so that everyone could communicate with each other.
At school, we had a subject called civics, where we children learned what a republic meant. Republic, they said, meant that the people governed and administered themselves. I liked that idea. But the reality was completely different.
What kind of republic was I living in?
It was a republic in which people were not allowed to speak their mother tongue or live their culture, in which opposition members were arrested, tortured and killed. Years later, I learned that there are millions of people like us, whose native language is forbidden, for whom speaking is punishable and punishable by imprisonment.
Every tenth year I experienced a military coup. After that, the government decided on every detail of my personal life: what trousers or beard I could wear, when I could stay at home or go out on the street, ...
Every day and everywhere, people talked about homeland, nation, national pride and similar topics. So the republic became my nightmare.
When the young Turkish Republic was founded in Lausanne, Kurds were among the founding members. However, this was denied shortly afterwards. Kurds were denied, persecuted and massacred.
For almost a quarter of a century, an Islamic party has been in power and is trying to turn the Turkish Republic into an Islamic Republic governed on the basis of Sharia law.
The year 2023 will mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.
Therefore, this very year I am founding my own republic in response to the totalitarian form of government of the last 100 years.
From now on, my republic is wherever I put my foot.
There are no more limits for me.
I have written my own constitution, which I live by from now on.
I have several national anthems that I use alternately, depending on my mood.
All the colors of this earth are my flag.
Man is my nation.
The earth is my home.
2023 is not only the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, but also the 20th anniversary of my move to Burgenland.
Therefore, I am exhibiting a small selection of the works that I have produced in Burgenland over the last 20 years.
I hope you have a good time and enjoy looking at the exhibition!
Hüseyin ISIK, Oct. 2023 Eisenstadt
CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF HÜSEYIN
Article 1:
I am born equal and free.
Article 2:
I have the right to live without discrimination based on my ethnicity, national or social origin, skin color, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, wealth or other status.
Article 3:
I have the right to life. No one may arbitrarily kill, torture, mistreat or punish me.
Article 4:
I have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Article 5:
I have the right to freedom of expression.
Article 6:
I have the right to demonstrate peacefully and to eat chocolate.
Article 7:
All political borders are prohibited in my republic.
Article 8:
I have the right to respect for my private life.
Article 9:
I have the right to education.
Article 10:
I have the right to medical and health care.
Article 11:
I have the right to a fair trial. No one can arbitrarily arrest or detain me.
Article 12:
I can steal my rights.
Work of the week
Week 38 16-22.09.2024
"Crazy Pen"
Photography and digital drawing
Week 39 23-29.09.2024
"Death is jealous of you"
Portrait made from cartridge cases
Week 40 30.09-06.10.2024
"The war continues"
Pencil, ink on copperplate paper
Week 41 07.10- 13.102024
"Marilyn Maran"
Screen print on paper