Elite

Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin’s practice, which encompassed a diverse array of mediums such as sculpture, photography, installation and video works, and a wide range of materials including everyday objects, explored the impacts of globalisation, migration and exile. By incorporating ordinary, trivial and even kitsch materials and objects into his work, he voiced a strong criticism against the established systems of value and debates predicated on the distinction of high vs. low art. Describing himself as a nomad, Alptekin created a personal archive, consisting of the photographs, notes and objects which he collected during his frequent travels. Forming a visual language from the contents of this archive, the artist probed into the cross-cultural circulation of objects and people through his metaphorical installations, illuminated signs, neon works, photography and video series.

Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin provided a contemporary reinterpretation of the portrait tradition in Western art by creating a series of studio portraits captured against a black backdrop and produced using vinyl printing, which was the latest and most affordable printing technique available at the time. "Elite", which portrays Vildan, a woman compelled to work as an undocumented immigrant in Turkey despite her advanced education, sheds light on the economic and social challenges faced by immigrants who are unable to practice their intended professions. The figure is depicted holding plastic bag labelled with the words “elite”, symbolising the aspirations and illusions enforced by globalisation and capitalism. With this series, Alptekin not only alluded to the representation of the new ‘elite’, but also adapted the 19th-century tradition of European oil portraiture to the circumstances of the late 20th century.