exhibition

Trick or Treat
Deniz Eroğlu

18.01.2019 — 04.03.2019

Trick or Treat is an exhibition concept coined as a mise-en-scène of a candy store. The content of which was conceived according to the time and place of the exhibition by the Turkish-Danish artist Deniz Eroglu. Here, the candy is not for sale but given away for free.

The title of the exhibition refers to a custom of Halloween. In the evening of October 31, children in costumes, disguised as fantasy characters, pose the question: “Trick or treat?” to their neighbors in order to acquire candies. This request implies a vague threat. Neighbors either show generosity by gifting treats or face trouble or tricks. The treat alone does not suffice. Unless they are satisfied with the offerings, the ritual exchange will result in either an undefined transgression or some rather symbolic trouble. 

Eroglu employs curatorial decisions as well as artistic imagination to create a sensorial experience through the symbiosis of thoughts and flavors. By merging taste and visual components, he has developed a “language of sweets” that formulates questions and critique. Trick or Treat is an ambiguous entanglement of writing, curating and various gastronomical endeavors. The artist experiments with ingredients and their relations to thoughts, feelings, and memories. He concocts connections between tastes and historiography. He probes the past and future and delves into some of the most pressing matters of our time, such as the prevailing dependency on technology, the questionable notion of personal freedom, and a pervasive sense of imprisonment.