:mentalKLINIK is a Brussels-based artist duo composed of Yasemin Baydar and Birol Demir who began their collaborative practice in 1998 in Istanbul.
The duo functions as a multimedia conceptual laboratory that unveils the invisible political strategies and the dynamics of our contemporary society, using the ultra-contemporary devices of an apparent lightness. Through their playful, violent and abrasive vocabulary, the duo constantly twists glamor, rock or post-punk references. They reclaim the sparkling and the authoritative visual language of the media and night spheres in a climate of sensory hyperstimulation, engendered by multiple neons, slogans, light beams, mirror balls and confetti, while playing with our unanimous attraction to objects, glittering and seductive. It is all a work of encryption to which they summon us, between the true and the false, the artificial and the superficial, as if everything were a case of falsification.
:mentalKLINIK’s experimental approach has been praised on numerous international exhibitions including Bitter Medicine#01 (Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade ), curated by Carl de Smet, Bitter Medicine#02 (Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul), curated by Necmi Sonmez, ‘FreshCut’ (MAK, Vienna_ Austrian Museum of applied Arts / Contemporary Art) curated by Marlies Wirth and ‘Co-operation Would be Highly Appreciated’ Exhibition at SCAD Museum GA, USA, curated by Storm Janse van Rensburg. They have participated in numerous international exhibitions including Istanbul Modern-Rotterdam at Boijmans van Beuningen Museum (Rotterdam, 2012); Izmir Triennial of Contemporary Art (Izmir, 2010); and Tomorrow, Now (MUDAM, Luxembourg, 2007). They opened an introspective at La Patinoire Royale, Brussels curated by Jerome Sans in 2018. They have had two major solo shows at Galerist, Istanbul titled That’s Fucking Awesome curated by Jerome Sans (2011) and rABBIThOLE (2009); a solo show at Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde Thank You For your Cooperation (2014); and a solo show in Belgrade in 2018 titled ‘Catastrophically Gorgeous’ at Eugster II Belgrade, curated by Yasmina Reggad.
:mentalKLINIK is a Brussels-based artist duo composed of Yasemin Baydar and Birol Demir who began their collaborative practice in 1998 in Istanbul.
The duo functions as a multimedia conceptual laboratory that unveils the invisible political strategies and the dynamics of our contemporary society, using the ultra-contemporary devices of an apparent lightness. Through their playful, violent and abrasive vocabulary, the duo constantly twists glamor, rock or post-punk references. They reclaim the sparkling and the authoritative visual language of the media and night spheres in a climate of sensory hyperstimulation, engendered by multiple neons, slogans, light beams, mirror balls and confetti, while playing with our unanimous attraction to objects, glittering and seductive. It is all a work of encryption to which they summon us, between the true and the false, the artificial and the superficial, as if everything were a case of falsification.
:mentalKLINIK’s experimental approach has been praised on numerous international exhibitions including Bitter Medicine#01 (Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade ), curated by Carl de Smet, Bitter Medicine#02 (Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul), curated by Necmi Sonmez, ‘FreshCut’ (MAK, Vienna_ Austrian Museum of applied Arts / Contemporary Art) curated by Marlies Wirth and ‘Co-operation Would be Highly Appreciated’ Exhibition at SCAD Museum GA, USA, curated by Storm Janse van Rensburg. They have participated in numerous international exhibitions including Istanbul Modern-Rotterdam at Boijmans van Beuningen Museum (Rotterdam, 2012); Izmir Triennial of Contemporary Art (Izmir, 2010); and Tomorrow, Now (MUDAM, Luxembourg, 2007). They opened an introspective at La Patinoire Royale, Brussels curated by Jerome Sans in 2018. They have had two major solo shows at Galerist, Istanbul titled That’s Fucking Awesome curated by Jerome Sans (2011) and rABBIThOLE (2009); a solo show at Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde Thank You For your Cooperation (2014); and a solo show in Belgrade in 2018 titled ‘Catastrophically Gorgeous’ at Eugster II Belgrade, curated by Yasmina Reggad.
EXHIBITIONS / PROJECTS
| 2024 | GENERATED DREAMS, Solo Show, Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid, Spain |
| 2023 | :mentalKLINIK STAGE, ‘VIOLENTLY JOYFUL’, Mazarine Group, Paris, France |
| 2022 | :mentalKLINIK STAGE, ‘OBNOXIOUSLY HAPPY, 47 MINUTES’ at Eugster II Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia CHRONIQUES BIENNALE OF DIGITAL IMAGINATION 2022, AFTER PARTY, Curated by Mathieu Vabre, Panorama Friche La Belle De Mai, Marseille, France LOVELESSNESS, Solo show, Eugster || Gallery, Belgrade, 2022 SHAKE YOUR BODY, Group Show, Curated by Jerome Sans, Lago Algo, Mexico City, Mexico HYPERMOODY, Solo show,Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid, 2022 |
| 2021 | SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Group show, curated by Jerome Sans, Apalazzo Gallery, Brescia, Italy, 2021 TIGER IN A TROPICAL STORM, Group Show, Louise Alexander, Porto Cevro, Italy TICKER TAPE, Group Show, Project by Cel Crabeels, NICC, Antwerp & Brussels, Belgium BEYOND ALL YOU ARE MINE, Group Show, Project by Joel Andrianomearisoa, HAKANTO CONTEMPORARY, Antananarivo, Madagascar |
| 2020 | VER VERSUS VER, Group Show, Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid, Spain BITTER MEDICINE #02, Solo Show, 7/24 Live Stream at Borusan Contemporary, Curated by PERSPECTI.EF.VE, a performative tour on ‘It Never Ends’ Exhibition by John Armleder at Kanal Centre Pompidou, Brussels, Belgium |
| 2019 | ALMOST HOME, Group Show, Project by Joel Andrianomearisoa, RX Gallery, Paris France |
| 2018 | THE THIRTIETH YEAR, Group Show at Krizinger Projekte, Curated by Jerome Sans, Wien Austria |
| 2017 | TRUISH, Solo Show at Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Dubai, UAE |
| 2016 | WHITE CUBE, Group Show at Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde, Curated by Amanda Abi Khalil, Dubai, UAE |
| 2015 | 83% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED, Solo Show at Louise Alexander, Porto Cevro, Italy |
| 2014 | ENTRE NOSOTROS (Between us), Video art from the Middle East and North Africa in a global World Etopia, at Centro de Arte y Tecnología, Curated by Sabrina Amrani, Zaragoza, Spain ROCK THE CASBAH, Group Show with Carpenters Workshop Gallery at Design Miami, Basel |
| 2013 | MAGMAONTHEMOUNTAIN, Performative Dinner at İstanbul Modern, İstanbul, Turkey |
| 2012 | ENCOUNTER, The Royal Academy In The Middle East, Curated by Kathy Battista, Katara Doha Qatar, |
| 2011 | THAT’S FUCKING AWESOME, Solo Show at Galerist Hasköy, Curated by Jerome Sans Istanbul, Turkey |
| 2010 | SILENCE_STORM, Port İzmir2, International Triennial of Contemporary Art, Curated by Necmi Sonmez, İzmir, Turkey |
| 2009 | A SURVEY OF TURKISH ART, Group Show at Cuadro Fine Art Gallery, Dubai |
| 2008 | TAGCLOUD, Solo Show at :mentalKLINIK Space, Istanbul, Turkey |
| 2007 | BINARYOCCUPATIONS PHASE1. SURFACE, Solo Show at :mentalKLINIK Space, Istanbul, Turkey |
| 2004 | ~SELF01, Curated by Marie-Claude Beaud, MUDAM, (Musee d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean), ExpoVente, Luxembourg |
| 2003 | [COPY], Curated by :mentalKLINIK at :mentalKLINIK Space, Istanbul, Turkey |
| 2001 | {GAME}, :mentalKLINIK, Istanbul / Turkey |
| 2000 | (SLEEP), :mentalKLINIK, Istanbul / Turkey |
| 1998 | :mentalKLINIK is founded by Yasemin Baydar and Birol Demir |
Yasemin Baydar
| 1997 | KARANFiLKÖY, RIGHT TO SHELTER, Kültür Group, 5th International Istanbul Biennial, Curated by Rosa Martinez, İstanbul, Turkey |
| 1996 | A GENDER PROJECT FROM İSTANBUL, Kültür Group, Shedhalle, Zurich, Switzerland |
| 1994 | Co-Founder of Artist Run Space ‘DEVLET HAN’ |
| 1993 | Contemporary Artists, Painting and Sculpture Museum, İstanbul / Turkey |
Birol Demir
| 1994 | Co-Founders of Artist Run Space ‘DEVLET HAN’ |
| 1993 | Group Exhibition Urart Gallery, Ankara /Turkey |
| 1992 | Group Exhibition Urart Gallery, Ankara, Turkey |
TEACHING/LECTURING/RECIDENCY
| 2024 | Residency at ARTSCONNECTED, Maxx Royal Bodrum, Turkey |
| 2023 | DOUBLE TROUBLE, Workshop at RUFA, Rome, Italy |
| 2019 | OBSCURE OBJECT, Workshop with Carl de Smet at Khalifa University, Art&Technology, Abu Dhabi |
| 2017 | Recidency at Performance Hub Belgrade Serbia |
| 2015 | Panel discussion with Scott Carter, :mentalKLINIK and Nari Ward moderated by Paul Lester. SCAD Museum of Art Savannah Georgia USA |
| 2009 | OBSCURE OBJECT, Workshop, Ecole Speciale d’Architecture, Paris, France Undisciplined State of Mind, Ecole Speciale d’Architecture, Paris, France PRESENT FUTURE, Panel discussion with Tül Akbal Süalp moderated by Fatoş Üstek at Tent, Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| 2008 | NON-DETAIL, Panel at Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey |
| 2007 | :MENTALKLINIK STATEMENT, Dreams Of Art Spaces Collected, The International Gesellschaft Der Bildenden Künste (IGBK) in co-operation with Deutscher Künstlerbund, Berlin, Germany |
| 2004 | CHAT AT MUDAM, Camp de Base, Musée D’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean / Luxembourg |
EDUCATION
| 1986 | Birol Demir |
| 1990 | Yasemin Baydar |
PUBLICATIONS / BIBLIOGRAPHY
| 2024 | DANNIE K., BOULVEVARD JACQMAIN ARTZINE, 2024 Published by Nadine |
| 2020 | GLITTERWORLDS: The Future Politics of a Ubiquitous Thing, Rebecca Coleman, 2020, Pubished by Goldsmiths Press |
| 2019 | THONET, Bendwood and Beyond, 2019 |
| 2018 | OBNOXIOUSLY HAPPY, 2018 ISBN 978-2-930737-19-5 Interview by Jerome Sans, Published by La Patinoire Royale |
| 2018 | The Thirtieth Year, 2018 Published by Krinzinger Projekte |
| 2018 | Şiir Her Yerdedir, İLHAN BERK 100 Yaşında, 2018 Edited by Necmi Sönmez, ISBN: 978-975-08-4372-3 Pubished byYapı Kredi Yayınları |
| 2015 | 83% Satisfaction Guaranteed, 2015 Designed by :mentalKLINIK, Published by Louise Alexander Gallery |
| 2014 | Plurivocality, 2014, by Levent Çalıkoğlu and Çelenk Bafra Pubished by Istanbul Modern Art Museum, Istanbul |
| 2013 | Çocuklar İçin Türkiye Güncel Sanati isbn: 978-9750826238 |
| 2012 | That’s Fucking Awesome, 2012 ISBN: 978-97592510-9-3 Interview by Jerome Sans, Designed by :mentalKLINIK, 156 Pages, Istanbul, 19,5 x 26cm Published by GALERIST |
| 2007 | User’s Manuel, Contemporary Art in Turkey 1986-2006 isbn: 978-3-86588-392-6 |
| 2007 | User’s Manuel, Contemporary Art in Turkey 1975-2015 isbn: 978-3-86588-423-7 Editor: Halil Altındere, Süreyya Evren, September 2007 Published by Art-ist + Revolver Books |
| 2004 | self 01 |
| 2004 | Wanting Book Odd Notebook isbn: 9758614029 |
| 2004 | Contents isbn: 9758614037 |
| 2002 | [kopya] copy //unpublished |
| 2002 | {oyun} game isbn: 9758614010 |
| 2001 | (uyku) sleep isbn: 9758614002
Editor: |
| 2001 | Çağdaş Sanat Konuşmaları 2 isbn: 978-975-08-1178-4 |
| 2001 | Sanatın ve Sosyolojinin Ruh Hali |
| 2004 | Musée D’art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean 2000-2004 ALMANACH isbn: 2-919923-01-3 Director: Marie-Claude Beaud Date of Publication: October 2004 Published by Foundation Musée D’art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean Luxembourg |
| 1997 | 5. International İstanbul Biennial, On Life, beauty, Translations and Other Difficulties
isbn: 975-7363-03-0 |
| 1997 | +++5. International İstanbul Biennial, On Life, beauty, Translations and Other Difficulties
isbn: 975-7363-03-0 |
| 1997 | Kültür ein Gender – Projekt aus İstanbul isbn: 3-907829-06-9 |
docu:mentalKLINIK issues
| 2002 | :mentalKLINIK duo has founded docu:mentalKLINIK in 2002 as a form of documentation. 1. TENEZZUL (condescension), 14. YELLENMEK (to fan/ fanning) |