Exhibition on Gezi to open on protests’ first anniversary

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

An art exhibition about last year’s Gezi protests, which started with a small group against the cutting of trees in Istanbul’s heart of Taksim and spread across the country due to police violence, will be displayed in two venues on the first anniversary of the protests.

The organizers defined the aim of the exhibition, titled as “Come if you dare! #resistmyheart, I am sharing you,” as bringing “to life the same excitement, common solidarity and belief of the Gezi period with feelings such as pain, relief, astonishment and disillusion.”

The exhibition is being organized by the International Association of Turkish Professional Artists (UPSD) which is tied to UNESCO/The International Plastic Artists Association (IAA) and Piramid Art Center.

The collective exhibition of the 53 participating artists will take place simultaneously in two galleries, UPSD Gallery in Maçka Democracy Park in Istanbul’s Nişantaşı neighborhood and Piramid Sanat in Taksim.

The exhibition is being curated by Bedri Baykam and Denizhan Özer, while the project is being coordinated by Öykü Eras.

The exhibitions will be open until July 15 at the UPSD Gallery and Piramid Sanat.

Articles from Ataol Behramoğlu, Emin Çetin Girgin, Orhan Aydın, Eyüp Muhçu, Nasuh Mahruki, Osman Erden and Ali Şimşek will also be available in the project. The exhibition brings together young and old artist under one subject “resistance;” the youngest artist is 13-year-old Deniz Yünem, while the oldest is 90-year-old Kayıhan Keskinok.

The Gezi protests erupted on May 27, 2013, when a group of protesters refused to leave Gezi Park in Taksim to prevent the cutting of trees where a large development project was planned by the government. On the same night, officials burnt the tents of protesters and riot police used tear gas and water cannon against a small group of people. After the images of the police intervention was shared via social media, thousands flocked to the scene in the following days and similar protests quickly mushroomed into the largest demonstrations Turkey has ever seen. Eight protesters and one police officer were killed and thousands were injured during the protests which have continued intermittently for the past year.