Exhibition of Women Artists in Istanbul

Up until 22 January the Istanbul Modern hosts a unique exhibition, Dreams and Reality –Modern and Contemporary Women Artists from Turkey, which brings together the work of more than a century of Turkish female artists. The exhibition curated by Fatmagül Berktay, Çal?ko?lu Levent, ?nankur Zeynep and Pelvano?lu Burcu includes the work of 74 artists from various disciplines of work, which range from painting to video.

The museum wanted to give the exhibition an aura of mystery and romance, as well as a literary flavour, and so they chose the title of the book Dreams and Reality, to bring together this galaxy of top female artists in the Turkish scene. The original novel was written by Ahmet Mithat and Fatma Aliye.

The exhibition is also a snapshot of the social changes experienced by Turkey. Through these works you can see the new perspective of modern Turkey and the role that women occupy in it. This exhibition demonstrates that in recent years Turkish women have managed to gain a level of importance in the art world that necessitates an exhibition dedicated only to them. That fact alone demonstrates the extent of the political and social advancement of women in this country.

To accompany the exhibition, the museum is hosting a series of symposiums, lectures, forums and meetings to discuss women in art and the political process that accompanies this participation, as well as feminist theories and developments since its emergence in the 1960s, and discussions about gender and the role of women in Turkey.

In the work of these 74 artists, you can read part of the history of women in Turkey. You can see their quiet but resolute struggles and their hopes for a more integrated society, with fewer divisions based on gender, socioeconomic position, race or religion.

Some of the artists included in the exhibition are: Bedia Güleryüz, Nail Akinci, Tülay Tura Börtecene, Nur Koçak, Zerrin Bölükba??, Mihri Mü?fik, Semiha Berksoy, among other great Turkish women.

For more information: http://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/f_index.html.

 

The Bosphorus is bluer and more beautiful than ever in the autumn, so rent one of the apartments in Istanbul and come and enjoy what this splendid city has to offer, including its rich cultural and artistic landscape.

Translated by: Ben Palmer