Seçkin Pirim

4th Industrial Art Biennial | Labin, Croatia

SAHA supports Seçkin Pirim’s project at the 4th Industrial Art Biennial, 13 May – 30 June 2023.
Curated by Christoph Doswald and Paolo Bianchi, Landscapes of Desire Participating artists are invited to question the relationship between art and society, with and emphasis on historical, cultural,social and the politcal context of the main biennial locations: Labin & Raša. Among other issues, they’ll explore and consider how to respore solidarity in the post-crisis context, and how to build, develop and promote it within their cultural and artistic practices. Inspired by the coal mines around Pula, Pirim builds a bridge between antiquity and modern times with his installation called Past/Present erected in front of Augustus temple in Pula.

Continuing the path set by previous biennials (2014/2016/2018/2020), IAB 04 has an emphasis on contemporary art and socially engaged new art practices with a multi-perspectival, interdisciplinary approach. The 4th edition of IAB is structured into 3 geographically separate but thematically interconnected exhibition complexes: Labin (Socio-Cultural Center “Lamparna”, ex-mining site Pijacal, and some open public spaces) and the neighbouring ex-mining town of Raša (former miners’ canteen, Church of St. Barbara, former 25 May factory), functions as the starting point and the core of the Biennale, from which it will expand towards Pula (Archaeological Museum, Augustus Temple, Gallery Amphitheater) and Rijeka (MMSU, Korzo).

Seçkin Pirim (1977, Ankara) He associates his life with his sculptures which are composed of repeating forms. The artist has received more than 20 awards in sculpture and design and exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions at local and international art institutions and galleries including Borusan Sanat, Pera Museum, Museum Haus Konstruktiv, Glory Yeh Museum & Sculpture Park, Yverdon-les-Bains, and Saatchi Gallery. His works are featured in collections such as The National Art Museum of China, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Odunpazarı Modern Museum, Baksı Museum and Elgiz Museum. Pirim lives and works in Istanbul and London.

About Labin Art Express

Labin Art Express (L.A.E.) - independent underground cultural and art association, established in 1991, based in the ex-coal mine in Labin, Region of Istria, Croatia. L.A.E. is not a clannish group of artists whose creativity is esoteric, but an exoteric cultural and art association of artists and "non-artists" led by the idea that art today must be: young, all-encompassing, modern, fierce, moral, and synthetic. Their mission is based on the development of a civil and open society in Istria/Croatia by promoting and producing alternative art and youth (sub)culture as well as by proactive protection of industrial and architectural heritage of the former Istrian coal mines.