What's on in Istanbul (24 June 2024)
A regular roundup of recommended art and cultural offerings
TOP PICKS
Olafur Eliasson at Istanbul Modern
‘Your unexpected encounter’
Every big exhibition these days seems to have one: a large, typically colorful, sometimes cartoonish piece of art, often including a mirror or two, that seems to have been created solely to be Instagrammed. You know the type. At first glance, Icelandic–Danish artist Olafur Eliasson’s new solo show at Istanbul Modern seems like it might fall into that category, but his immersive rooms and tone-shifting sculptures play with the senses in a mind-opening way, prompting the viewer to wonder what is actually in front of their eyes and what is a perception being created by their brains – and if there’s any difference between the two anyway. There are some quietly impressive pieces as well, like a series of canvases drawn by wind- or sun-powered machines, and a wall of photographic diptychs showing the impact of climate change on glaciers. The latter work takes on a particularly infuriating impact on days when Eliasson’s “Sunset kaleidoscope” (2005) on the far wall – a work that brings the outside world into the museum – reflects not the sparkling waters of the Bosphorus but the hulking facade of a cruise ship.
Exhibition runs until 9 February 2025
Tophane İskele Caddesi No:1 (by the Tophane tram stop)
Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, Fri until 8pm (last entry 30 mins prior)
Admission 250 TL for residents of Turkey
Tuğçe Diri at Anna Laudel
‘Underneath The Stones; Moment and Archive’
In her visual studies of historic buildings in Istanbul, artist Tuğçe Diri abstracts and isolates individual structural elements into a kind of architectural calligraphy that dances across the canvas. In other works, she layers on stone rubbings, creating graphite-heavy pieces that seem weighted with centuries of decay, erasure, rebuilding and reuse. Her current solo exhibition at Anna Laudel gallery also includes a more prosaic series of works inspired by Cappadocia that use similar techniques to (in this viewer’s eye) rather less engaging, if still aesthetically pleasing, effect.
Exhibition runs until 30 June
Kazancı Yokuşu No:45-49a
Gümüşsuyu, Beyoğlu
Open Tue-Sat 12-7pm, Sun 12-6pm
HAPPENING THIS WEEK
TALK: On ‘A World of Wonders’ – Art historian Claudia Swan talks about the “cabinet of curiosities” concept and the ideas of rarity and wonder in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition Suppose You Are Not, which features works from the extensive contemporary art collection of businessman Ömer Koç. 26 June at 7pm at ARTER (Irmak Caddesi No:13, Dolapdere, Beyoğlu). Free, no registration required.
SCREENING: ‘7/24 Sokağı’ (24/7 Street) – This documentary by a feminist cinema collective following the lives of women in seven Turkish cities during the Covid-19 pandemic is the only movie being screened with English subtitles at this year’s Filmmor Women’s Film Festival, though multilingualists should check out the rest of the selection. 30 June at 7pm at İBB Beyoğlu Sineması (İstiklal Caddesi No:62), free.
EXHIBITION: ‘Deniz Ülkesi’ (SeaLand) – Contemporary art works related to the oceans are being displayed amidst the already-eclectic collection of seafaring memorabilia, ship models and seashells at the Bodrum Maritime Museum (Çarşı Mahallesi, Nazım Hikmet Sokak No:4/1) during the Deniz Ülkesi (SeaLand) exhibition. Open daily 9am to 7pm, show ends 30 June. IN BODRUM 🏖
ONGOING EXHIBITIONS
‘The Dynamic Eye: Beyond Op and Kinetic Art’ – An extensive selection of often mesmerizing and mind-bending works from the collection of the London-based Tate museum demonstrate the broad scope of this art movement that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s and spread around the globe. to 7 July at Artistanbul Feshane (Yavedut Caddesi, Eyüp; by the Feshane tram stop and Eyüp ferry pier), open Tue-Sun 10am-7:30pm.
‘The Magic of Craftsmen’s Hands’ – Tender and bittersweet black-and-white photographs of the dwindling community of Armenian artisans and ustas in Istanbul. to 13 July at DEPO (Lüleci Hendek Caddesi No:12, Tophane), open Tue-Sat 11am-7pm.
‘My Anxious Heart’ – Artist Balca Ergener explores public spaces and possibilities for connection through urban collages and wordplay experiments. to 13 July at DEPO (Lüleci Hendek Caddesi No:12, Tophane), open Tue-Sat 11am-7pm.
‘Samambaia Issues’ – Artist Camila Rocha’s botanical paintings of ferns employ surreal color palettes that emphasize the otherworldly character of these prehistoric plants. Read local artist/curator Seyhan Musaoğlu’s review of the show here. to 20 July at Öktem Aykut gallery (Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:99, Beyoğlu), open Tue-Sat noon-7pm.
RECOMMENDED READS (etc.)
Resource Pool – The transformation of a private swimming pool into a public hall is indicative of a shift in urban governance taking root in Istanbul. by Jennifer Hattam for The Architectural Review’s “Democracy” issue.
Collector Haro Cumbusyan: ‘I am drawn to works that are outside of my comfort zone’ – The social entrepreneur and his wife have specialised in new media art – everything from films to holograms. by Ayla Jean Yackley for The Financial Times.
Bradley Secker on the pleasures and perils of photojournalism in Istanbul – The longtime Istanbul-based photojournalist speaks with Turkey Book Talk about his work on migration and LGBT+ asylum seekers as well as his thoughtful new Substack newsletter on contemporary issues in photography.
At the Table of the Sun – Rober Koptaş writes about food, nationalism, identity and the invention of “national cuisines” for CivilNet.
Nothing is Normal, Nothing Is What it Seems – Underground theatre in Iran after the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement. by Mehrnaz Daneshvar for The Markaz Review.