Insel Nr.3

The German title “Insel” means ‘island,’ and the work reads as a small territory of retreat. Finished in a deep gloss black, the sculpture forms a low, inhabitable body. A crocodile head rises at the center, dividing the form into two seats that face slightly outward, like a shared hideout with built-in distance. Nuri Koerfer calls these works social sculptures: objects that speak through signs, poses, and touch. Their animal shapes hover between figurine and furniture, inviting an encounter that is intimate but not sentimental. Sitting is allowed. The visitor is not merely a viewer, but a participant who activates the piece through posture, weight, and proximity. As the artist notes, “I feel the work is like a small island where you can go and hide and feel safe.” “Insel” offers hospitality as a protective gesture, a pocket within a larger field. In the exhibition space, its darkness becomes a sheltering surface, reflecting nearby bodies and fragments of the room, turning isolation into a temporary, shared autonomy for quiet reflection. The work was created for the 7th Athens Biennale, titled “ECLIPSE” (2021).