About Gavin Turk

Gavin Turk is known for his innovative approach to contemporary sculpture. Turk says: ‘I don’t think I ever really decided that I was an artist. I went to art school to learn how to think and look at art. I ended up developing a more sophisticated misunderstanding of art.’ A notable series in his oeuvre is the Doors series, of which Ajar can be seen at ARTZUID 2025. These works consist of freestanding doors, made of bronze but painted to look like weathered wood. Turk describes this work as ‘a surreal suggestion that explores the idea of ​​a threshold. There is a historical touch to it that evokes a sense of history.’ In 2021, a work from the Door series was installed on the Wilhelminapier in Rotterdam. This location, where millions of Europeans left for a new life in the 19th and 20th centuries, reinforces the symbolism of the door as a transition between the old and the new. The artwork symbolises hope, dreams and opportunities, like a door that is always open.