DNA Bridge Between Art and Science, Bingül Başarır

A Turkish ceramic artist combining art and science. For this symposium, Bingul Basarir will make a surface wall telling you about DNA and Anatolian history. She is always trying to make artwork from different materials. 

How would you introduce your artwork?

Normally, I make massive ceramics art work. My artwork was supposed to be a big DNA construction. However, it was canceled, it would be too big. My first plan was to be put on a big hill, step by step. Like a bridge that would be made out of pieces of brick. At the end of the bridge you would see art which tells you about culture. For the new project I still don’t know where I will put it, but for sure I will put it outside.

What is your artwork here, at the symposium?

For now, I will make a surface wall, again with DNA but also mixed up with Anatolian history using small pieces. You will see a different story in each of the surfaces. The big theme for the design are the bodies of genetics.

What inspires you to make this kind of art?

My inspiration is Science and Art. They go the same way. I think both of them are so important. Without art, there is no science and without science there is no art. For me, history of culture is made from art and science.

I am trying to make something by mixing different materials. For example, Lignite coal and glass. When I looked for this kind of art on the internet, I couldn’t find any other artists who had done projects with those materials.

How did you start with art?

I started as any other child does, play with clay and paint. My first ambition was to become a famous painter. However, 50 years ago I saw an exhibition of ceramics by the famous ceramic artist Füreza. At that moment I fell in love with ceramics. I started working with her. At the beginning she told me that she didn’t need a student, just needed an assistant. She told me that I needed to learn by myself because she would never teach me anything.

While I was working with her, we joined an International exhibition at Czechoslovakia. She got 4 gold medals for that exhibition, the first medal was achieved by my teacher, Füreza. The second was achieved by the department of ceramics at the university. I got the third medal. Afterwards, she told me: “It’s enough; you can choose and go your own way. Make your own studio and make the story for your own artwork, a professional artist’s life”.

What do you think about the benefits of the symposium for the artists or students?

It is very important, this place unites people. Artists, students, visitors and journalists are all here together with art. The symposium should keep going on in this way, get improove through living art. I am very happy to be part of this symposium.

What are your plans for future?

In 2010, it was my 50^th anniversary of being a professional artist. I hope I can make something for my 60^th, maybe an exhibition would be nice. For now, I am rarely doing exhibition for myself. I rather cooperate with other artist from different countries for mixed exhibitions. There is one luxury hotel in Izmir which invited me to make an exhibition for the opening next year. They will give me a space for a gallery to put all of my artwork inside, not a really big one but still nice. This exhibition will be showing the Hitit civilization. I love the story behind Hetits and so do, hopefully, many others!