The Dean of Atatürk University's Faculty of Fine Arts, Mehmet Kavukcu, has opened his latest exhibition titled "Boşluk'ta Bilinç" (Consciousness in Emptiness) in Erzurum. The display uses umbrellas and mirrors the emptiness that forms in the universe. Known for his numerous artworks exhibited in various provinces at Atatürk University as well as throughout Turkey, Kavukcu and his works have drawn great attention from Atatürk University Chancellor Hikmet Koçak and other visitors. Kavukcu aims to highlight the emptiness in the universe that is created by galaxies and stars with nearly 700 umbrellas hanging from the ceiling covered with aluminum foil. In his statement, the artist said that his previous works also focused on emptiness and the universe. Stating that his work is a kind of "questioning the concept of emptiness" at a universal level, Kavukcu said, "I want to make a connection with the eternal depth of human's nature. I use umbrellas because it is important for me to create a connection between our architectural structures and the formal structure of the universe. The galaxies and stars are formed of globes, and umbrellas are similar to globes. Moreover, umbrellas relate to Turkish architecture and they symbolize protection against natural events."
