Golden Family: Matt Golden - Natsue Golden: I Once Was A Wonderer, Too
Forthcoming exhibition
Overview
Pi Artworks Istanbul presents “I Once Was a Wonderer, Too” by Golden Family, an exhibition that blends folkloric symbols and celestial imagery with mythology.
Uniting the freedoms of the nomad and the security of the settled, this collection of works wistfully draws upon the artist duo’s recent relocation from London to the English-countryside.
The centrepiece of the exhibition “I Once Was A Wonderer, Too”, appears to capture a nebulous form within the constraints of a birdcage. Joyfully bringing together two historically opposing symbols, one of the ephemeral and one of permanence. This metaphor creates a map around which the Golden Family’s theme of a ‘traveller homeward-bound’ playful navigates.
The first conceptual thread of the exhibition ties together ideas of movement, exploration, and cosmic curiosity. For instance, in the Constellations series, athletes photographed while suspended in mid-air are paired with specific star configurations, establishing a poetic link between the human leap and the movement of the universe. Similarly, the Roosters series draws on the birds’ unwavering courage to begin anew each morning despite their compromising conditions. In these works, the story of Golden Family’s fictional wanderer, Juan Carlode, is also present.
The second thread of the exhibition focuses on more introspective, home-centric themes. While works such as Serendipity and Maverick reflect the quiet coincidences and authentic moods brought about by settling down, the artists carry stories from the past through wooden frames, cast concrete, and everyday objects. A notable piece in this vein is the photographic work titled Serendipity, created in collaboration with the photographer Bruno Baptista.
The cast concrete sculpture The Tortoise Trainer references Osman Hamdi Bey’s famous painting of the same name, allegorically addressing the patient transformation of a sedentary life.
The exhibition also leaves questions unanswered. For whom does the word “Wonderer” actually apply? Can a cloud truly be imprisoned in a cage, or does its essential meaning escape from behind those bars? Does a flying rooster signal a new adventure, or does it salute the comfort of routine? With these mindful conundrums, Golden Family invites the audience to reflect on their own balance between wandering and finding a home.
Another significant work in the exhibition, He Who Eats the Durian Smells of Durian, expands on the stories of Juan Carlode. Originally published as a twenty-page series in Wonderland and Rollacoaster magazines, this work investigates concepts of identity, displacement, and cultural encounter by combining photography, narrative, and performance. Parallel to the overarching themes of "movement and belonging”, it positions Juan Carlode as a Quixotic* alter ego through which the artists rethink their own nomadic pasts, questioning how stories transform as they cross borders.
The exhibition also features “What Is It About a Night Sky?”, a collaborative work with writer Samuel Fisher. This piece, featuring Fisher’s verses on the poetic imagery of the night scorched onto a folk drum, offers a unique experience merging literature and sculpture.
Golden Family’s (Matt Golden and Natsue Golden) exhibition “I Once Was a Wonderer, Too” can be visited at Pi Artworks Istanbul until February 28, 2026.
The centrepiece of the exhibition “I Once Was A Wonderer, Too”, appears to capture a nebulous form within the constraints of a birdcage. Joyfully bringing together two historically opposing symbols, one of the ephemeral and one of permanence. This metaphor creates a map around which the Golden Family’s theme of a ‘traveller homeward-bound’ playful navigates.
The first conceptual thread of the exhibition ties together ideas of movement, exploration, and cosmic curiosity. For instance, in the Constellations series, athletes photographed while suspended in mid-air are paired with specific star configurations, establishing a poetic link between the human leap and the movement of the universe. Similarly, the Roosters series draws on the birds’ unwavering courage to begin anew each morning despite their compromising conditions. In these works, the story of Golden Family’s fictional wanderer, Juan Carlode, is also present.
The second thread of the exhibition focuses on more introspective, home-centric themes. While works such as Serendipity and Maverick reflect the quiet coincidences and authentic moods brought about by settling down, the artists carry stories from the past through wooden frames, cast concrete, and everyday objects. A notable piece in this vein is the photographic work titled Serendipity, created in collaboration with the photographer Bruno Baptista.
The cast concrete sculpture The Tortoise Trainer references Osman Hamdi Bey’s famous painting of the same name, allegorically addressing the patient transformation of a sedentary life.
The exhibition also leaves questions unanswered. For whom does the word “Wonderer” actually apply? Can a cloud truly be imprisoned in a cage, or does its essential meaning escape from behind those bars? Does a flying rooster signal a new adventure, or does it salute the comfort of routine? With these mindful conundrums, Golden Family invites the audience to reflect on their own balance between wandering and finding a home.
Another significant work in the exhibition, He Who Eats the Durian Smells of Durian, expands on the stories of Juan Carlode. Originally published as a twenty-page series in Wonderland and Rollacoaster magazines, this work investigates concepts of identity, displacement, and cultural encounter by combining photography, narrative, and performance. Parallel to the overarching themes of "movement and belonging”, it positions Juan Carlode as a Quixotic* alter ego through which the artists rethink their own nomadic pasts, questioning how stories transform as they cross borders.
The exhibition also features “What Is It About a Night Sky?”, a collaborative work with writer Samuel Fisher. This piece, featuring Fisher’s verses on the poetic imagery of the night scorched onto a folk drum, offers a unique experience merging literature and sculpture.
Golden Family’s (Matt Golden and Natsue Golden) exhibition “I Once Was a Wonderer, Too” can be visited at Pi Artworks Istanbul until February 28, 2026.
Works
