Illya Goldman G. and Mehmet Cevik are the names behind the Berlin-based atelier 97cm. This collective challenges the perception of the rapidly changing world our conscious and unconscious minds create. Through their seven projects to date, the concept that binary continuum has to exist in one form or another is extinguished. This artist duo bridges the viewer to unawakened parts of the mind - allowing for a sincere dialog to take place and multilayered self-reflection to perpetuate.

Why 97cm? What significance does the name hold to the collective?
The code 97cm is a bridge to experience another way life. Giving our Atelier a name, we were looking for something universal and timeless, that represents best our narrative and vision - in the most simple way. Questions like „Why 97cm? Why not 100cm? What is 97cm? What could be 97cm long? etc.“ appear naturally to us without our conscious control since we live and function a huge part of life within systems and norms. Our brain is wired to extract meaning, to make sense of the world and creates a cosmos of imagination and questions that leaves us wondering.

Some our works challenge and trigger this transforming "97cm" moment too. Our latest work „Profil 2B 1-8, Weiß“ seems obvious in the first place, but if you get closer, you realize the illusion your subliminal self has created through pattern recognition. Like 97cm is a code for our initials and thus the narrative, our works are charged with codes like fabric as the medium that represents our origin and the connection between us two (@illyagubin & @castamuni).

How prevalent are the jewish and islamic cultural imprints on the art that is created from the collective today? Has it always been important that this aspect of life is represented in what is created?
We can’t measure, yet it`s inside everything we do. Sharing knowledge and believes with each other we found parallels that allowed us to discover new things. Our first work „Aufklärung“ is all about these parallels of our origin, aesthetic thinking, the divine mystic, sacred architecture and its light which is expressed through 35mm film over 50 pages.

Seeing the world through Newton’s lens, it seems like we are apart from objects. But having the knowledge of quantum mechanics we look up in the sky and know those stars, millions and millions of kilometers away are made of the same atoms we are made of. There’s a level of connectivity. The smallest particle of matter cannot be understood without its relation to the whole - the whole - therefore everything. Recognizing this dimension, the unity of all, which we find also in our believes, we try to focus on the oneness. This allows us have a much more holistic, omnipresent view and gives our work a healing approach. We want to create this kind of energy.

Do the two of you share a similar creative processes? Do Ideas just pop into your mind or are they usually thought out ideologies?
They seem to appear out of nowhere, often triggered by something consumed either conscious or subconsciously with the senses. There is an experiment where words and images are flashed subliminally to patients that had electrodes implanted deep in their brain. These words were invisible to the patient but caused a slow response in the amygdala – a part of our brain that detects fearful stimuli and plays a key role in our emotions. When neutral words, such as tree or stone were flashed instead, there was no electric response - The brain registered the disturbing words which remained invisible to the patients themselves.

This tells us, that even if we are not aware, we are influenced by everything. Its a combination of both - instant appearing ideas and well thought out concepts. They pop into mind, straight from the unconscious. Like getting hit by a lightning, you feel it with the whole body. In context of present emotions, some ideas feel like you got a big fish on the hook. Standing on a fragile old trunk in the rocky river, you can’t calculate, you have no control but you have to react spontaneous and quick. The moment you are conscious and question what you are doing and try to take control you loose the idea. Sometimes though, you are lucky enough to bring that spark of an idea to surface. Then take that spark of illumination, as far as possible to create the energy for an entire thought out composition.

What are the difficulties that come with being apart of a collective.
Finding the balance of individual desires and devils ego.

Where do you see 97cm five years from now creatively?
We have a positive feeling about us in the future. This feeling guides us like a ray of light through an dark space. Within the next years we are hopefully going to be still on a journey learning, exploring and making a lot of connections having the same energy and desire to search, experiment, develop, create and share our ideas.

Who is the target audience of the art? Who is this collective trying to reach?
Everyone. At our exhibition you see all ages, colors, shapes, backgrounds and genders, experiencing simultaneously our works and themselves. Its universal. Watching people watch our work is very revealing and teaching.