Pg Art Gallery is pleased to host Je M’appelle Macid's first solo exhibition, "I don't like fake stories; Me 🖤 Genuine," from April 20th to May 17th, 2024.
Je M’appelle Macid began to attract attention when the renowned art critic Jerry Saltz of New York Magazine started sharing his works. Saltz believed that Je M’appelle Macid was reviving something, but what exactly had Je M’appelle Macid revived? What were these works that touched emotions so deeply, where did they come from, and where were they heading?
In an interview, Je M’appelle Macid, who said that the thing that touched and inspired him the most was himself, what exactly was he referring to? He wasn't telling us a story, drowning in patterns and colors, not giving those familiar feelings, but perhaps giving other feelings that we may have long forgotten or struggled to define. This was what Saltz referred to as reigniting and blessing; works that were far from fake stories, simple, yet striking. Je M’appelle Macid labeled them autobiographical. The name of his work, consisting solely of a black deer waiting under a black tree in the forest, was a self-portrait. What was he trying to convey about himself with the deer figure that he deemed fitting to his self-definition?
When we enter his world, we are met with tremendous simplicity, delicate elegance, and dignified grandeur, and this is striking...
As someone who doesn't talk much about himself or his works and also doesn't enjoy leaving his home, the artist is now inviting the audience to his exhibition where he has transformed the gallery space into the home setting depicted in his works. Experiencing the opening night of this exhibition in the gallery space, where he has created atmospheres inspired by homes in his works.
The artist lying on his bed, wanting to voluntarily add a crowd to his loneliness with the footsteps of the wandering visitors inside, invites viewers to witness a slice of his life on this journey. Inside, there is a home with his music, works, belongings, perfume, and clothes... The black dress that frequently appears in the artist's paintings is presented to the audience as an installation in the exhibition, interpreted by designer Hatice Gökçe as a representation of being "intrinsically attention-grabbing."
Everything is as it is, and suddenly!
