Mehmet Aksoy sculpture finds a new home

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

Turkish artist Mehmet Aksoy’s sculpture “Mother Earth,” which was removed on Jan. 7 this year from its location of 12 years in Istanbul’s Ümraniye neighborhood after a court decision that the field it sat in, which covered an area of 11,000-decares, belonged to the General Directorate of National Property, has found a new home in the Avcılar district.

After the removal of the sculpture, Avcılar Mayor Handan Toprak contacted Aksoy, proposing to move the sculpture to an appropriate place in her neighborhood. The proposal was accepted by the artist and details have been revealed.

Aksoy, who liked the location shown to him in the Paşaeli Kent Ormanı Park in Avcılar’s Gümüşpala neighborhood, said work to move the sculpture would begin soon. 

“Here, there will be a unity of human, nature and arts. We want young people and children to encounter the sculpture. The sculpture depicts Kybele, an Anatolian mother goddess with two children. This is a Mother Earth, which embraces and protects the good the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. If we look at Turkey’s current situation, we see how discrepancies come up against each other and we see each other as enemies.

Unfortunately, these things happen in a multicultural country of various ethnic origins. On the contrary, this richness becomes a reason for hostility. We try to say something here: Whatever you are, be human. We all come from the Mother Earth. We bless nature and humans.” 

Toprak said she believed as an artist Aksoy was one of the most important values in our age, and said the following: 

“When we learned the sculpture was removed, the people of Avcılar demanded to see such a beautiful work. I asked him and he said, ‘Why not?’ and wanted to see the place in Avcılar.”

Toprak said the place where the sculpture will be erected is a park in Gümüşpala neighborhood. 

“There is also an amphitheater here on this 90-decare park, which reflects all the beauties of nature and Istanbul. Avcılar is attempting to become a culture and arts neighborhood. I hope that Aksoy’s sculpture will live here forever,” the mayor added.