During the summer months, a large part of the residents of Istanbul prefers to get away from the city and spend the summer months on Türkiye's beautiful Aegean or Mediterranean coasts. The resort towns in these two regions are also among the touristic hot spots for local and foreign tourists as well. Amid this interest, Bodrum on the Aegean has shined with art events this summer.

While it is sad to see another summer nearing its end, there are still ongoing art shows to see in Bodrum. Here is a quick look at the two standout exhibitions in the town.

'Bodrumania'

Anna Laudel Bodrum is presenting Ardan Özmenoğlu’s solo exhibition titled "Bodrumania" at ZAİ Yaşam. Working with different materials including large scale glass sculptures, Post-Its and neon, Özmenoğlu was inspired by Bodrum’s nature, including its blue sea, pink bougainvillea flowers, white houses, breathtaking sunsets and nights illuminated by the moonlight. The artist thinks that the natural beauty of Bodrum cannot be fully understood without living there and refers to the local features of the peninsula ranging from its untouched bays to the unique flavors served at its well-known restaurants.

Özmenoğlu focuses on the three symbols of Bodrum in "Bodrumania": the blue of the sea, the pink of the bougainvillea flowers and the white of the Bodrum houses. Her works reflect the dazzling beauty of the village, which has been a great source of inspiration for many artists, authors and musicians such as Turkish writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, known as the "Fisherman of Halicarnassus," and singer Zeki Müren.

Bringing out the magical details of Bodrum, the exhibition invites the visitors to refresh their memory of this beloved village.

Featuring a selection of Özmenoğlu’s new artworks that brings out her joy in rediscovering Bodrum's wondrous bays, flora and architecture as well as its colorful nightlife, "Bodrumania" can be visited until Sept. 23 at Anna Laudel Bodrum.

'Bunny And'

The collection of Azeri sculptor Asmer Sultanova Topçu, who pushes boundaries in terms of form, composition and figure, has opened at Mandarin Oriental in Bodrum. With humorous bunny figures in her collection, the artist emphasized education regarding the autism spectrum. She said about her collection: "I wanted to create a mythical and fun collection that brings together different religions, languages, races, sexual identities and ages. This is how 'Bunny And...' was born. Bunny can sometimes be a teacher, sometimes a best friend and sometimes a parent. I want you to define Bunny as you wish under the shadow of global equality." The "Bunny And..." exhibition, which was launched on Aug. 13, will continue to fascinate art lovers in Mandarin Oriental until Aug. 27.

Topçu, who was born in 1986 in Baku, graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University's Department of Modern Sculpture Design after completing her literature education in her country. The artist, who later became a master in sculpture by receiving various trainings in the field of sculpture at Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, actively worked in the "Beyond Plaster" workshop, which she founded in 2020. By establishing her own gallery, Beyond Sculpt, in 2021 and displaying her works for art lovers, Topçu continues her art production by using a wide range of materials such as polyester, marble, brass and bronze.