Turkish-born visual artist Şakir Gökçebağ deconstructs everyday objects, often eradicating their initial performance in order to form entertaining installations. His works are made from items one could find around the house like hula hoops, brooms, toilet paper rolls, and pairs of worn-out shoes. The later set of altered footwear spans more than 15 years and continues to be set up in surreal structures both inside and out of the gallery.

For these pieces, Gökçebağ chops the front toe from neutral-toned work boots and other sturdy socks. He then arranges the pieces in rows, circles, and parallel lines that divide elevated platforms. The installations appear digitally written, and playing a key on the viewer as they try to decode the visual manipulation. Gökçebağ has lived and worked in Hamburg, Germany since 2001. You may see more of his strangely arranged objects, such as this belt that’s been sliced and folded to look like a ribbon, on his Instagram.