Representing Turkey at the London Design Biennale held at Somerset House from June 1st to 25th, Melek Zeynep Bulut showcased her performative and experimental spatial installation titled "Open Work." Rooted in the concepts of doors, passages, and thresholds, "Open Work" was selected among 47 countries and various universities, earning the Public Award.
The fourth edition of the London Design Biennale, which goes beyond the boundaries of design, explores new forms of international collaboration, and encourages participation through multidisciplinary design, took place under the theme "Global Game: Remapping Collaborations." The Biennale featured Melek Zeynep Bulut's installation "Open Work," symbolizing an ironic monument. Among the works of more than 40 artists, it was selected as the winner of the Public Award through public voting. The "Public Award" is determined by visitor votes and contributes to highlighting projects that shape the future of the design world.
"Open Work," a performative space revolving around metaphors of thresholds and transformations, delves into the meanings of power, boundary-setting, and social hierarchy that have shaped human history. With moving and sonorous surfaces functioning as instruments, abstract doors and circulation plans interact with visitors, transforming them into part of the installation. The installation stands out with its monumental arrangement and size creating an extraordinary experience through perception and matter, transitioning from immutability to silence and flexibility as visitors engage with this experimental space.
Melek Zeynep Bulut describes her works as a blend of architecture, sculpture, psychology, and behavioral sciences, incorporating abstract and concrete experiences, sculptural-space relations, and analyzing space-instinctual experience in her creations. The artist continues her production in Istanbul and Paris as a multidisciplinary studio.
