Ten

TEN

Merve Midilli

Peeling a tangerine is often described as an act of kindness— a simple gesture that transforms something small and bothersome into a moment of clarity. In that simple act, there’s a quiet generosity, not only in how we present the fruit to others, but also in the stillness we offer them in that moment. But what if that act of kindness is, in fact a moment of compulsion — an obligation, an obsession, or perhaps simply a ritual of personal relaxation? Either way, peeling the flesh of a tangerine offers a therapeutic pause. It’s a kind of meditation, unfolding in its own rhythm, woven through your thoughts. For a moment, all your emotions—your need for calm, your breath—flow through your hands, transferring from your skin to the tangerine’s, as you peel it open. In this act of peeling, the tangerine becomes more than just a fruit—it transforms into a mirror, reflecting the inner world of the person who handles it. Each peel is a gesture, a small act of self-revelation. This book, Ten, explores these fleeting, unique moments that belong to each person. It’s like fortune-telling through the gestures of their hands and the residual skins of the tangerines, telling stories of emotions, thoughts, and hidden tensions. And ‘Ten,’ a number that holds significance in many cultures, also carries another meaning in Turkish—skin, or flesh—imbuing this act with even more layers of significance. Through video as a starting point, Ten—the artist’s book—presents the stories of ten people: their thoughts, feelings, and anxieties; their obsessions, even. Each one pours these experiences through their skin and hands into the tangerine’s peel. What’s left for us to witness is a brief, intimate moment of fortune-telling, revealed through the expressive traces of their tangerine peels. As you look at the remains of the tangerine peel, what do you see? Is it a portrait of the person who peeled it? A glimpse into their inner world? Ten invites us to consider how simple actions—like peeling a tangerine—can hold an entire universe of meaning, one fleeting moment at a time.