Gözde İlkin – UnNatural History Commissions
The mouth of the ground
Gözde İlkin (born 1981, based in Istanbul, Turkey)
The Mouth of the Ground, 2021
Video, 13 min 33 sec. Courtesy of the artist and artSümer, Istanbul
Gözde İlkin drew inspiration for the newly commissioned work on view at the Herbert from the environmental importance of minerals and rocks to improve soil damaged by climate change. Rocks and minerals also have broader medicinal properties, and play a role in ritual and folklore. İlkin became interested in the subject after being intrigued by the rocks she encountered in walks around her neighbourhood in Istanbul.
Mouth of the ground – Installation
The mouth of the ground, Gözde İlkin. Photo: James Jaron, Courtesy of Invisible Dust
For her newly commissioned work, Gözde İlkin places rocks and minerals from the Herbert’s collection into and alongside handmade stuffed sculptures. Made with found fabrics and painted and embroidered by the artist, the sculptures are inspired by the environmental importance of minerals and rocks to improve soil damaged by climate change. Rocks and minerals also have broader medicinal properties, and play arole in ritual and folklore. İlkin became interested in the subject after being intrigued by the rocks she encountered in walks around her neighborhood in Istanbul.
We spoke to the artist to discover her process of creating the project. Watch the interview below.
On display between 28th May – 22nd August 2021, ‘The mouth of the ground’ was commissioned by Invisible Dust for UnNatural History at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum as part of Coventry City of Culture 2021. Publicly funded by Coventry City Council, the Wellcome Trust and National Lottery Funded by Arts Council England.