Artiq Annual Volume 2
The Future is Fatoş A leading voice in contemporary art and a fervent advocate for artists' rights, Fatoş Üstek is constantly breaking new ground. For Volume 2, she joins Patrick McCrae for a frank conversation about the necessity for change and what we must do collectively to get there. Patrick I wanted to start this conversation
Fatoş We can all craft various narratives from
by thinking about the narrative arc of this
our history, so I don't have just one. There's my
interview and aligning it with the narrative
so-called professional journey, with what people
of your personal story. Some things I have
refer to as milestones—projects I've been part of
gathered from reading about your professional
or initiated. But I believe there's another story,
life, from judging the Turner Prize to the 4th
which is more about character. So, ask me again:
Plinth, chairing the New Contemporaries, and
what do you really want to know? Because
lately, curating Frieze Sculpture - it's quite
like you say, the facts about what I've done are
the list of accomplishments! Then, there's this
already out there.
interesting twist with your background in mathematics, you studied maths in Istanbul,
Patrick I'd love to hear about breaking through
Turkey, and were on a path to a career in
[into the art world] rather than the accolades.
engineering but eventually found yourself in
As you say, the accolades are already out there,
the arts. Your journey is almost the opposite of
and they speak for themselves; you don't get
what we often hear: many study art and aim
to curate at Frieze Sculpture without already
for a career in the arts but end up working
being somebody. What was your breakthrough
somewhere wholly different. This early
moment?
influence came through in your curation at Frieze Sculpture, for example, in how you spoke
Fatoş One thing that has been very prominent
about the lines of sight between artworks. So,
in my journey is passion. I discovered my
can you take us through your journey? What is
deep love for art in college, and that was
the Fatoş history?
something I didn't know about myself before.
28
