At my diploma exhibition, I showed drawings with which I tried to visualise time. After the show, I packed up my paperworks and stacked them in packages. This is when I realised that painting and drawing would never allow me to solve the question of visualising time. So, I developed the idea of Der Stapel, turning to the medium of sculpture. Since then I have been layering all of my work in one grand stack, which is only divided into individual sculptures limited by my body height for statical reasons. With my smartphone I document the creation of the sculptures with photographs. These are made publicly available on my website and associatively visualise the production of the sculptures and my respective living conditions. I will continue this project until my death.


Umut Yasat
Der Stapel 7
2017
acrylic, air, aluminum, ballpoint pencil, cardboard, chalk, charcoal, cotton, crayon, felt-tip pencil, glass, glue, ink, iron, lacquer, leather, messing, paper, pencil, plastic, stainless steel, steel, styrofoam, wood
194 x 62 x 62 cm

Der Stapel 7 (2017)

Before the lockdown, I have spent many hours outside. The pandemic constrained me to spend all my time in my live-in studio. I took the government's call to stay at home very seriously and asked myself how I could respond to it with my artistic process. Lacking access to found objects, I became more concerned with the few things surrounding me at home. The only possible solution for me to deal with the situation was to put all of my pre-corona belongings into 'Der Stapel', including my bed, washing machine and television. This resulted in a lot of work with wood, from which I made boxes to be filled with artworks and everyday objects. So, during the pandemic, my work became locked, just as I was locked.

Umut Yasat
Der Stapel 52
2020
acrylic, pastels, oil, wood, ink, felt-tip pen, ballpoint pen, lacquer, canvas, cotton, aluminum, steel, stainless steel, iron, plastic, paper, cardboard, plaster, glue, silk, leather, pigment, ceramic, glass, tin, copper
175 x 60 x 53 cm

Der Stapel 52 (2020)

During a residency in Venice I created 'Der Stapel 37' with objects I brought to be used during my stay there. I already knew that I would leave these objects behind, returning to Germany only with my body clothes. Comparing this 37th edition of 'Der Stapel' with earlier versions it is possible to see some new developments in my working process. The trolley, which in the stacks serves a practical function of supporting the standing object, was replaced by a typically Venetian salesman’s trolley. In earlier editions the trolley fit perfectly the width of the stack. But working with this broader trolley generated the new challenge of holding the stack together somehow. For that I included a purchased object in this stack edition, namely some plastic wires that not only hold the stack firmly inside the trolley, but create a milky space around it – a metaphor perhaps for the third parties we need in life among society; a metaphor for the external validation an artist (or anyone) must achieve for recognition.

Umut Yasat
Der Stapel 37
2019
steel, plastic, cotton, leather, glass, aluminum, ink, paper, cardboard, stainless steel, copper, felt-tip pen, pencil, glue, sand, air
175 x 70 x 80 cm

Der Stapel 37 (2019)

Since 'Der Stapel 3' I started to include not only my artworks but also personal objects. This decision was connected to the idea of leading a minimalist life. My idea was that I could reach a point zero, not owning more than what could fit into one backpack. I was certain that I would reach this point until 'Der Stapel 10' at the latest but until now this has not happened. I became aware that I cannot control what comes into my life because I am constantly confronted with new material. The conclusion I drew is that it is impossible in today's society to own nothing at all. Reaching point zero thus remains a philosophical construct, which I pursue in oder to continuously reduce and provoke myself. 

Umut Yasat
Der Stapel 5
2017-2018
acrylic, air, aluminum, ballpoint pencil, bronze, cardboard, charcoal, copper, cotton, crayon, felt, felt-tip pencil, foam, glass, hemp, ink, jute, lacquer, leather, messing, oil, paper, pencil, plastic, sand, stainless steel, steel, wax, wood
175 x 50 x 67 cm

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Umut Yasat