Return of the IKSV
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) continues its commitment to bringing quality films to audiences with its February line up. This month’s program includes films that premiered in international film festivals or screened at the IKSV event Filmekimi. IKSV will air three films each weekend and eash will be available to watch for five days after the airing date. This weekend you can watch the internationally co-produced 2020 drama Nowhere Special. Directed by Uberto Pasolini, the film tells the story of John, a 35-year old window cleaner, who is given only a few months to live and attempts to find a perfect family for his three year-old. The program also includes Turkish director Hasan Soylemez’s Tenere, a documentary that tells the true story of African people who set out from Agadez, Niger, crossing the desert to reach Libya and Europe. The film portrays the arduous journey of Bachir and his companions in a truck resembling Noah’s ark. The audience can see how they struggle both physically and emotionally with harsh conditions, thirst and many other problems.
For tickets and more information, visit filmonline.iksv.org.
MARVELOUS CORRESPONDENCES, SUBTLE RESEMBLANCES
Turkish artists Alp Ismen and Yuksel Dal take the spotlight at Mixer with a new group exhibition. Curated by Nergis Abiyeva, the exhibition focuses on visual and gestural relations that are not equal to each other but correspond to one another through works that are done with simple pencil, and occasionally ink, on paper. Named after Umberto Eco’s novel Foucault’s Pendulum, the exhibition “traces not what is immediately visible and comprehensible at first glance, but what is noticed as it gets deeper in its layers”.
The exhibition is available at Mixer from Tuesday to Saturday between 11am and 7pm.
6GEN BELLEK
Piramid Sanat offers a new solo exhibition by Fazilet Kendirci which questions the impact of media, the relationship between social memory and the recent past and the position of humans on earth and in the universe. Composed of 365 canvasses which together form a massive hexagon, the front side of the installation represents the lifecycle of a person while the backside constitutes pieces of newspapers from 2007 to 2012.
The exhibition is available at Piramid Sanat from Monday to Saturday between 11am and 8pm.
WATERCOLOR ON PAPER
Pi Artworks presents Turkish artist Iz Oztat’s second solo exhibition. Bringing together a selection from the watercolor series In the Rivers North of the Future (2011-2014), Pleasure/Sizzle (2018-2019) and April Diary (2020), the exhibition also presents Recounting Nightmares to Running Water (2015), a video which is based on a series of watercolors.
The exhibition is available at Pi Artworks from Tuesday to Saturday between 12pm and 6pm.
LET’S ESCAPE
Independent art platform Sanatorium presents Belgium artist Agnes Guillaume’s first solo exhibition in Turkey. A former musician, Guillaume is known for her videos, mixed media work and embroidery. In this exhibition, Guillaume calls for a return to reality with a more openmind and personal gaze from an escape of the tangible.
The exhibition is available at Sanatorium from Tuesday to Saturday between 12pm and 6pm.
EVE DONUS/KARSILAMA 12CM
Independent art gallery Diani hosts a new group exhibition which developed out of an artists’ initiative in Spain, France and Portugal for over 20 years. Created by Sukru Karakus, the exhibition consists of works by Turkish artists who return home after their Europe tour and are welcomed by fellow artists. Including various techniques and methodologies, the exhibition presents the works of 55 artists, including Meltem Aktas, Berna Erkun, Ali Irgin, Maria Sezer, Bahri Genc and Pavlina Bobotanova.
The exhibition is available at Diani Art Gallery from Tuesday to Saturday between 1pm and 7.30pm
FLANEUR
Turkish artist Oguz Yalim invites art lovers to explore the concept of Flaneur, the concept of an urban wanderer that developed in Paris after the construction of modern cities and passages. Hosted by Summart, the exhibition consists of paintings that invite visitors to become a Flaneur, to experience the concept for themselves.
The exhibition is available at Summart from Monday to Tuesday between 12pm and 6pm.
ABOUT WOMAN II
Mine Art Gallery hosts a new group exhibition that presents the works of female artists. Consisting of various works
using techniques, from painting to sculptures and photography by 31 artists, the exhibition brings together artistic voices shaped by different experiences.
For reservations, visit minesanat.com.
STAY HOME, STAY SAFE
As new COVID-19 variants pop up, complicating vaccination programs, we are reminded that the end to this pandemic may not be as soon as we had hoped. But we have to be more patient, and digital entertainment can help. Between adapting to the new normal and waiting for the days that everyone comes together, art is one of the solutions to distract ourselves. Here are a few concerts you can watch at your home this week.
Saygun-Akses
Cemal Resit Rey (CRR) Concert Hall presents a concert by soprano Esra Abacioglu Akcan and répétiteur Fugen Yigitgil. Akcan and Yigitgil will commemorate prominent Turkish musicians Adnan Saygun and Necil Akses.
The concert will be available on February 18 on CRR’S Youtube channel.
Istanbulied
Is Sanat’s online concerts continue with Istanbulied which consists of mezzosoprano Ekin Bezirganoglu and pianist Senem Zeynep Ercan on February 20. Working together for over seven years, the duo will perform surprise compositions as well as German and French Lieds.
The concert will be on Is Sanat’s Youtube channel on February 20.
Deniz Ozcelik & Enver Muhamedi Duo
Akbank Sanat’s online jazz concert series continues with pianist and singer Deniz Ozcelik and guitarist Enver Muhamedi. Having performed in international stages and worked with prominent jazz musicians, the duo performs a versatile repertoire that ranges from American folk to Nordic melodies, jazz and ballads.
The concert is available on Akbank Sanat’s Youtube channel.
Nova Trio
Cemal Resit Rey (CRR) Concert Hall’s online concerts continue with the performance of Nova Trio. Consisting of Cetin Ceviz on violin, Seren Karabey on cello and Ecem Alniacik on piano, the trio’s repertoire will take music lovers on a tour from Rachmaninoff to Arenski.
The concert will be available on February 20 on CRR’s Youtube channel.
