Ali was born in 1982 in Aschaffenburg, Germany. Lives and works in Istanbul.
Ali İbrahim Öcal’s “For Nothing” installation refers to the
geography of today’s wars and to the political, cultural and economic
polarizations on the east-west axis. He uses light and shadow play
as a means of ephemeral and transitory character of fictions and
dissentions. By only reflecting the word “for nothing” the work
perfectly undertakes the function of the artwork which can evoke
awareness and visibility.
On the other hand Ali İbrahim Öcal questions the cynical behaviour
of the half-senior generation, the so-called cool generation of the 90’s,
who had and could not generate an idea, who criticized everything and
who took the same distance to every position, but at the same time
who believed that they could unravel all the ideologies and opinions
of this world. While all this is being reflected through this work, if one
bends a little, one can even see its own face. As it was discussed in
new middle class analysis, it is the used-up generation that acted with
names, codes and guides.
Employing this satirical language, and with this word “for nothing”
the artist embodies the political situation that has been built up from
the a-political notions. This a-politic generation of the last 20 years
have complained but never acted effectively; they only murmured
snobbishly. Now, this is over. Arab Spring, Iraq War, and now Syria,
while all this is happening in the region, this generation will be buried.
Please come, you can see yourself in the mirror of this work realized
under the title fictions and dissentions.
