Photographer: Ali Atmaca, AA Photojournalist
We interviewed with Mr. Rıdvan Sevim, and learned the details of the statue, which is 1.9 meters long and 1700 kg in weight in which stainless steel is used as the material.
How did you come up with the idea of making an Atatürk statue out of stainless steel?
For many years, we had the desire to carry out a study on Atatürk. Board of Directors of Aliağa Organized Industrial Zone requested a relief work on Atatürk from us. We told them about the Atatürk project that we dreamed of. We said that if they wanted, we could implement this project instead of relief. The Board of Directors accepted this proposal. Thus, the work was born.
The Atatürk statue made of steel with a length of 1.9 meters and a weight of 1700 kg has emerged as a result of the efforts of you and your team. Can you talk about the construction process?
I wanted to go beyond the forms that are always realized about the Atatürk statue. When people looked at Atatürk they should also see modern art. This work was a design and modelling process. The modelling process took 3.5 months. You must show Atatürk's grandeur while taking his steps holding his hat and shaking his robe. We're not just talking about an Atatürk statue here. When you look at the statue, it should not present you anything negative. You have to make people feel that enthusiasm and excitement. That's why every detail of the statue was so important. After the modelling process, we completed the sculpture in approximately 6 months at the end of a 2.5 month manufacturing process.
Your work is in a different format than the usual Atatürk statues. Why did you decide to realize such a design?
Almost all of the Atatürk statues consist of bronze works. When the subject is Atatürk in the developing and changing world, we also desired to create an innovator and reformer design for the new generations by inspiration of the ideas of Atatürk and the perspective he has drawn. We did so in order to give a vision whom thinking to make a statue in the future.
Why did you prefer steel for your sculpture?
We wanted to use the best metal in the sculpture. That's why the choice of mirror polished stainless steel took place. As steel shines, we see the light Atatürk wanted to give us. We used steel as the material to emphasize that the ideas that Atatürk showed us for a bright future are forever permanent. In the work, stainless inox 304 plates of 5 millimetres thickness were used. The sculpture consists of 190 sliced bars. It is always very enjoyable to work on steel. Steel is very suitable for art activities in addition to being an extremely safe material. I do never think to give up steel throughout my career.
Has your work been completed in steel, or will you continue to design with steel in the future?
This work is also the first work of our Atatürk series. We plan to complete these series by making a limited number statues one for each of the stainless-steel Atatürk statues that we will be making from now on.
What kind of feedback did you get about the sculpture from Türkiye and abroad?
We have received many positive feedbacks, both at home and abroad, which are motivating for the future. At the same time the fact that The Guardian shared our another work as the photo of the day in the written and visual publication dated November 18, 2021 made all the workshop staff very happy.
Finally, can you tell us about the works you plan to achieve in the future and your goals?
Since 2017, we have been focusing on social responsibility projects. In the coming days, we will be working on Atatürk in different formats. My biggest goal is to represent our country in the international arena by opening personal exhibitions and galleries.