Contemporary Istanbul - Ertuğrul Ateş — 2009

Ertuğrul Ateş Three Dervishes

In the series he names "Three Dervishes," the artist ironically emphasizes the positive and negative aspects of the changing world order with the trilogy: ‘The Dervish Who Doesn't Know,’ ‘The Dervish Who Doesn't Hear,’ and ‘The Dervish Who Doesn't See.’

In his own words:

"I identify the stance of the artist with the stance of the dervish. One point of the compass rests at our own center, while the other encompasses the entire world we perceive. This is a period where the questions asked and the answers received have become corrupted along with the changes in the world, a time when the concept of truth has been lost... What we perceive needs to be questioned. I am discussing this situation with a troubled dervish..."