Contemporary Istanbul opens gallery with new exhibition

By Musa Alcan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Contemporary Istanbul Foundation (CIF) on Wednesday opened its new gallery Cocoon with an exhibition.

The Spinning a Cocoon, which will run through Sept. 21, is being co-organized with the Art on Istanbul Gallery in the Turkish metropolis.

Goksen Bugra, curator of the exhibition, said that a vast variety of works of art including sculpture, installation, new media, ceramics, photography and painting were being featured.

Bugra said that the novel coronavirus changed people's lives.

“Artists often consider such times as an opportunity to go back. So, production continued. We wanted to organize such a big exhibition so that we could push our borders both in terms of polyphony and in a period where mobility was decreasing,” she added.

The exhibition brings together 50 works from 16 artists: Ahmet Cerkez, Ahmet Elhan, Burcu Erden, Eda Soylu, Elif Kahveci, Erman Ozbasaran, Evren Sungur, Isil Kapu, Lutfullah Genc, Mithat Sen, Oddviz, Olcay Kus, Olgu Ulkenciler, Onur Mansiz, Sencer Vardarman and Ulgen Semerci.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, CIF chair Ali Gureli said that the foundation plans to organize training and various certificate programs at the venue.

Gureli said that a new exhibition curated by renowned writer Hasan Bulent Kahraman with a selection from the foundation's collection will be held in September.

CIF organizes Contemporary Istanbul (CI), the leading annual art fair in Turkey.

"Contemporary Istanbul takes place each September and offers a platform for the city’s thriving art scene, growing art market and collector base, as well as an access point to the best contemporary art from the wider region," according to CI's website.