Basilica Cistern to host Czech artists at unique exhibit

ISTANBUL

In an upcoming exhibition, Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern will host a collection of 22 predominantly crystal artworks by contemporary Czech sculptors Vlastimil Beránek and Jaroslav Prošek, set within its ancient, 1,500-year-old historical ambiance.

A unique presentation of the Czech Republic and its art called "Gates of the Underground - Touching Space with Transition and Reflection" is co-organized by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Consulate General of the Czech Republic and is expected to be seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors of Istanbul flowing to the Cistern during daily tourist tours and during other cultural and social events.

According to a written statement, the exhibition in this particular shape and size is unique. After its end, the works will be taken to galleries and private collections around the world.

Curated by Mahir Polat, Secretary General of the Istanbul Municipality, and Miroslav Kroupa, the exhibition is based on the themes of the underground, perception of reality, mythology, reflection and transformation.

Vlastimil Beránek's crystal works interact with the water and stone world of the Cistern and participate in creating its new dynamics of water, light, colors and reflections. Jaroslav Prošek's works connect glass that was first produced in Mesopotamia roughly 6,000 years ago with subfossil oak wood material from the same period and raise questions about collective memory and the present.

The exhibition, which will open on Aug. 1, will continue through Nov. 30.

Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) was built in the 6th century by the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I with a capacity of 80,000 tons of water and an area of approximately 10,000 square meters.

The historical cistern, which was like a calm sea in its time with such a water capacity, is called "Cisterna Basilica" in Latin.

The structure met the water needs of the city for centuries by distributing the water obtained from waterways and rain to the Great Palace and surrounding structures where the emperors resided.

The underground structure has a total of 336 columns, most of which were probably collected from older structures. It was used for a while after the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottomans in 1453. The structure, which was not noticed by Westerners until the mid-16th century, was rediscovered by Petrus Gyllius, a naturalist and topography expert who lived in Istanbul between 1544 and 1555.

During extensive repairs in the 1980s, the most important symbol of the Basilica, relief blocks with the head of Medusa, were discovered. The famous Medusa head adorns two of the corner pillars, carved, in accordance with legend, upside down so as not to turn people who lock gazes with it to stone.

The basilica was completely shut during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, allowing workers to strengthen and clean up the 138-meter by 65-meter water palace. Steel rods were stretched across the cornices of the 336 columns holding up the subterranean ceiling, arranged in 12 rows of 28.

The repair also included a lower footbridge above the water, bringing tourists within half a meter of its surface. And with improved lighting, the floor became visible for the first time.

After the most comprehensive reconstruction to date, the cistern opened to visitors on July 22, 2022, and offers daily tours, contemporary art shows and cultural and artistic events.