Akaretler rowhouses that transform the dynamic texture of Istanbul's Beşiktaş into a cultural hub are hosting an "Open Exhibition" in honor of contemporary art's prominent name, Balkan Naci Islimiyeli, who passed away in April.
The "Open Exhibition" is supported by Bilgili Sanat, which carries out joint projects with leading international and Turkish galleries, and is being presented to art lovers in memory of Islimyeli in Akaretler, where the esteemed artist taught art courses between 1980-1988. The exhibition will be open until Tuesday, Aug. 30.
The exhibition brings together 11 artists from different disciplines in which the textile materials became their medium of expression. The works embodied many art forms such as oil painting, sewing, embroidery, applique or printing techniques on woven, knitted and transparent fabric surfaces. With recycled materials, the exhibition strives to bond with the mundaneness of life, society and contemporary forms of art.
The fact that the exhibition is "open" refers to the complete transformation of an exhibition venue into a "place." Contrary to the exhibitions that are usually held indoors, the artworks spill onto the streets and protrude from the balconies of Akaretler with a perspective that supports art in public space, integrating the exhibition into daily life.
For that reason, the exhibition coordinated by Gülfem Dedeoğlu and curated by Erkan Doğanay, can be regarded as extraordinary as the art pieces greet Istanbulities from Akaretler's balconies. As a nod to Islimiyeli, the exhibition offers one self-portrait of the painter, his iconic rowboat depictions and his abstract paintings.
On the first day of this exhibition, the artist's wife, friends and students commemorated him. After the exhibition ends, another art exhibition in memory of Islimiyeli will be taking place once at the historical Akaretler, which was built in 1875 by Sarkis Balyan on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz, mostly used by high-ranked officials of the Dolmabahçe Palace at that time, revealing his paintings that have never seen before. It will be opened on Sept. 20, the artist's birthday.
Balkan Naci Islimyeli, one of the great painters of Türkiye, was born in Adapazarı in 1947. In 1967, he passed the applied talent exam of Marmara University Applied Fine Arts High School and studied painting for five years. After graduating at the top of the class, he was granted a scholarship by the Austrian government to study lithography in Salzburg.
Then he went to Florence in 1980 to gain first-hand knowledge of the masterpieces of Italian baroque art such as Michelangelo Caravaggio and he then followed his aesthetic pursuit in the U.S. experiencing modern approaches in contemporary art in a quest of new forms.
The artist sought new forms with new possibilities of expression and put his signature under many firsts in Türkiye. He provided a different dialogue with the audience through his installations, arranging canvases and objects in the exhibition space within the framework of a concept. He constantly evoked the spectator to build bridges between the past and the future through his artworks, inviting the viewer to the adventure of a quest he embarks on alone.
His "Air, Water, Earth, Fire" ("Hava, Su, Toprak, Ateş") exhibition in 1989 was hailed by many art critics as striking and groundbreaking. Integrating nature's four main elements into the exhibition, the dark faces stuck between life and death depicted on the canvas pushed the audience to question the multi-faceted relationship between nature and humans.
Also, his "Past and Now" ("Geçmiş ve Şimdi") exhibition strived to establish a conversation between traditional painting and contemporary art, carrying his art into another dimension.
