The House The House

Many human experiences are highly conditioned by the spaces in which they take place. In art, the utilisation of space is key: consider the creative environment of the artist’s studio, our habitual viewing of artworks within a museum gallery, or the architectures constructed for focused attention such as auditoriums or stages. Seen in this way, changes in the organisation of space – in cities, in rural areas – or smaller-scale arrangements of domestic or working spaces, have not only physical but also psychological and cognitive effects.

Through the use of site-specific installations, the Istanbul-based collective Yoğunluk – which in Turkish means ‘Intensity’ – explore the relationship between art and space. The group, which has roots in architecture and cinema, focuses on the way in which space can condition human experiences. Their new work The House (2017) is an installation in an Istanbul apartment rented by the collective as a studio. Located just off Istanbul’s Istiklal Street – a crowded, commercial avenue – on the top floor of an apartment, The House (which accommodates a maximum of five visitors at a time) is a darkened, domestic space that contrasts with the city’s bustle.

The work, impressionistic and atmospheric, aims to interlink our cognitive experience of the world with external and physical aspects, demonstrating how changes in lighting, sound and atmosphere can have dramatic effects. The furniture and various objects placed within the space are all coated in texturised, black silicone, the tactile experience of which combines with other sensory occurrences involving light and sound. Initially disorienting, as the installation progresses, light begins to enter the apartment, and external stimuli such as sounds of the outside world become recognisable, creating a tangible sense of spatial change while demonstrating the crucial role of space in crafting our experience and situating us as viewers.