{"id":294099,"date":"2025-11-15T23:27:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T23:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/294099\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T23:27:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T23:27:13","slug":"reflective-ring-sculpture-by-mert-ege-kose-frames-the-giza-pyramids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/294099\/","title":{"rendered":"reflective ring sculpture by mert ege k\u00f6se frames the giza pyramids"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>mert ege k\u00f6se debuts site-specific work at art d\u2019\u00e9gypte 2025<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Against the vast horizon of the Giza Plateau, Art D\u2019\u00c9gypte\u2019s 2025 edition hosts The Shen, a large-scale <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/aluminum\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">aluminum<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/sculpture\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sculpture<\/a> by Turkish artist Mert Ege K\u00f6se, conceptualized and curated by Ay\u00e7a Okay and realized in collaboration with AWC Contemporary. The intervention marks the first time K\u00f6se presents work in Egypt and the first time a Turkish artist participates in the internationally visible sculptural program of the program, Forever Is Now. Positioned directly before the Pyramids, The Shen explores ideas of connection and equilibrium today through this ancient motif.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>K\u00f6se rebuilds the shen ring, long associated with eternity, completeness, and divine protection, as a volume defined by mathematically calibrated curves. The work, fabricated at ASA\u015e Sanat using specially developed alloys, spans roughly six meters in width and rises five meters high. Its reflective surfaces draw in the surrounding desert light, creating a shifting field where viewers encounter the monumental landscape behind them.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1164401 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"reflective aluminum sculpture by mert ege k\u00f6se splits apart to frame the giza pyramids\" width=\"818\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/reflective-ring-sculpture-mert-ege-kose-giza-pyramids-artdegypte-designboom-06.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>The Shen, a large-scale aluminum sculpture by Turkish artist Mert Ege K\u00f6se<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>a contemporary shen ring set against the pyramids<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Emerging from a year-long research process carried out through field studies in Egypt and Turkey, The Shen is conceived as an active point of dialogue. K\u00f6se frames the piece as an intersection of the human, the material, and the cosmic \u2014 a continuum mirrored by the geometry of the form and its placement at one of the world\u2019s most enduring architectural sites.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Curator Ay\u00e7a Okay, who also serves on the curatorial board for the 2025 edition of Forever Is Now, positions the project within a broader investigation of cross-regional cultural exchange. Her curatorial approach emphasizes research-based processes and experimentation, connecting contemporary production in Turkey with historical and institutional contexts across SWANA and Europe. In this sense, The Shen becomes part of her larger effort to situate artists within transnational networks shaped by shared mythologies, material knowledge, and spatial histories.<\/p>\n<p>The collaboration extends to AWC Contemporary, the Dubai-based platform supporting large-scale artistic initiatives across the MENA and KSA regions. For this edition, AWC contributes not only to the production of K\u00f6se\u2019s sculpture but also to expanding the visibility of Turkish contemporary art across Mediterranean and Gulf circuits \u2014 a triangular cultural bridge spanning Istanbul, Cairo, and Dubai.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1164400 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"reflective aluminum sculpture by mert ege k\u00f6se splits apart to frame the giza pyramids\" width=\"818\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/reflective-ring-sculpture-mert-ege-kose-giza-pyramids-artdegypte-designboom-05.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>the intervention marks the first time K\u00f6se presents work in Egypt<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1164396 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"reflective aluminum sculpture by mert ege k\u00f6se splits apart to frame the giza pyramids\" width=\"818\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/reflective-ring-sculpture-mert-ege-kose-giza-pyramids-artdegypte-designboom-01.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>positioned directly before the Pyramids, The Shen folds symbolism into a contemporary exploration of continuity<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1164399 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"reflective aluminum sculpture by mert ege k\u00f6se splits apart to frame the giza pyramids\" width=\"818\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/reflective-ring-sculpture-mert-ege-kose-giza-pyramids-artdegypte-designboom-04.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>the work spans roughly six meters in width and rises five meters high<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1164402 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"reflective aluminum sculpture by mert ege k\u00f6se splits apart to frame the giza pyramids\" width=\"818\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/reflective-ring-sculpture-mert-ege-kose-giza-pyramids-artdegypte-designboom-07.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>reflective surfaces draw in the surrounding desert light<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1164398 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"reflective aluminum sculpture by mert ege k\u00f6se splits apart to frame the giza pyramids\" width=\"818\" height=\"1454\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/reflective-ring-sculpture-mert-ege-kose-giza-pyramids-artdegypte-designboom-03.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>a shifting field where viewers encounter the monumental landscape behind them<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1164397 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"reflective aluminum sculpture by mert ege k\u00f6se splits apart to frame the giza pyramids\" width=\"818\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/reflective-ring-sculpture-mert-ege-kose-giza-pyramids-artdegypte-designboom-02.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>K\u00f6se frames the piece as an intersection of the human, the material, and the cosmic<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>project info: <\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>name: The Shen <br \/>artist: <a href=\"https:\/\/mertegekose.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Mert Ege K\u00f6se<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mertegekose\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">@mertegekose<\/a><br \/>curator: <a href=\"https:\/\/aycaokay.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ay\u00e7a Okay<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/aycaokay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">@aycaokay<\/a><br \/>collaboration: AWC Contemporary | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/awccontemporarygallery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">@awccontemporarygallery<\/a><br \/>location: Giza Plateau, Cairo, Egypt\u00a0<br \/>event: Forever Is Now 05 \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/artdegypte.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Art D\u2019Egypte<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/artdegypte\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">@artdegypte<\/a><br \/>dates: November 11th \u2013 December 11th, 2025<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"mert ege k\u00f6se debuts site-specific work at art d\u2019\u00e9gypte 2025 \u00a0 Against the vast horizon of the Giza&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294100,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[153777,228,226,227,229,88,13708],"class_list":{"0":"post-294099","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-aluminum-architecture-and-design","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-artsanddesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-sculpture"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=294099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=294099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=294099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=294099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}