‘Countdown to the Future’ begins in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Akbank Sanat, the art foundation of Akbank, has brought German artists’ group ZERO’s innovative and dynamic soul to İstanbul with “Countdown to the Future,” launched Sept. 2.

The exhibition hosts works by internationally renowned painters and sculptors like Auguste Rodin, Salvador Dali, with the cooperation of Akbank and Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum. 

The exhibition brings together over 100 art works by the movement’s founders, Heinz Mack, Otto Piene, and Günther Uecker, along with works of notable artists associated with the movement, such as Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni, and Lucio Fontana. 

“We believe that ZERO will leave a lasting impression in Istanbul. We hope that this great exhibition … will prove to be an unforgettable experience that takes all our visitors to the unique and magical world of modern art,” its organizers said on their website. 

ZERO reshaped modern art with its innovative approach, as a singular movement in post-war German art known as the ZERO movement, which travelled through countries and was adopted internationally in its active period during the 1950s and 1960s. The movement was initiated as a response to the desperation and stagnancy of the art world in the aftermath of World War II and its name inspired by rocket launch countdowns.