Contemporary Turkish art goes to Seoul

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

54 Turkish artists will promote Turkish contemporary art during the exhibition in the South Korean capital, Seoul. Artwork by Ardan Özmenoğlu

Always aiming to foster contemporary art from Turkey on the international stage, Contemporary Istanbul is undertaking an important international exhibition in the capital of South Korea. Taking place between Sept. 6 and 26 in Seoul, “Encounters: Turkish Contemporary Art in Korea” will include the works of both up-and-coming and world-renowned Turkish artists.

Held in one of the Far East’s most important cultural and financial hubs, the exhibition is expected to significantly increase the global value of contemporary Turkish art. The exhibition aims at promoting contemporary artists from Turkey, as well as creating a market for Turkish contemporary art in Korea. The exhibition will feature 98 works by 54 Turkish artists. Particularly showcasing artworks produced after 1990, the exhibition sheds light upon a period when contemporary art solidified in Turkey in its move from the modern to the contemporary. The selection of the pieces aims to reflect this period, with all its conflicts and problems.

In a written statement, the chairman of Contemporary Istanbul, Ali Güreli said, “This exhibition, being hosted in South Korea, a powerful market in the fields of arts and culture, will serve as a significant platform for contemporary Turkish art and artists. I strongly believe that through ‘Encounters,’ contemporary Turkish art will become known on a larger scale and that the art works will reach a significant, well-merited, and high esteem.”

As for the word “Encounters,” the curator of the exhibition Hasan Bülent Kahraman had the following to say: “The word ‘encounters’ covers both the meeting and the interaction between Turkey and South Korea, which has been ongoing since the 1950s. It also stresses the bridging process amidst the most Eastern country in the West, which has set all parameters according to the West during its modernization process, and the most ‘Western’ country in the East, both constantly experiencing the East-West predicament in their own geographies.”

In one section of the exhibition, titled “Transitions: From Modern to Contemporary,” the works of noteworthy names that have shaped contemporary art in Turkey will be showcased. In this section, art enthusiasts will be met by the works of artists who have helped establish a place for Turkish art in the world, such as Burhan Doğançay, and Komet and Erol Akyavaş, who are all represented in important museums around the world.

The exhibition will take place simultaneously with other significant international art events in South Korea. The world famous Gwangju Biennial, based around the theme of “Roundtable” this year, will be open to visitors from Sept. 7 to Nov 11.

Another event parallel to “Encounters” is the KIAF International Art Fair between Sept. 13 and 17, bringing together thousands of art enthusiasts from all around the world. Meanwhile, the International Media Art Biennial will make the Korean capital even more attractive for foreign visitors from Sept. 11 to Nov. 4.

“Encounters: Turkish Contemporary Art in Korea” will feature the following artists: Ardan Özmenoğlu, Aslımay Altay Göney, Arslan Sükan, Ayça Telgeren, Bahar Oganer, Bedri Baykam, Burçak Bingöl, Burcu Aksoy, Burcu Perçin, Burhan Doğançay, Can Kurucu, Can Ertaş, Cevdet Erek, Çınar Eslek, Deniz Üster, Ebru Uygun, Ekrem Yalçındağ, Elif Uras, Elif Boyner, Erol Akyavaş, Ferhat Özgür, Filiz Azak, Gökçe Erhan, Haluk Akakçe, Hüsamettin Koçan, Ilgın Seymen, İrem Tok, Jale Çelik, Kemal Seyhan, Kezban Arca Batıbeki, Komet, Maide Bulak, Murat Germen, Nazif Topçuoğlu, Nejat Satı, Nermin Er, Nezaket Ekici, Orhan Cem Çetin, Osman Dinç, Seçkin Pirim, Sevim Sancaktar, Seydi Murat Koç, Seza Paker, Sıtkı Kösemen, Sümer Sayın, Tuğberk Selçuk, Yaşam Şaşmazer, Yağız Özgen, Yeşim Akdeniz, Yıldız Şermet, and Zeynep Kayan. k HDN