At our 544th Art Meeting, we are at the “Semiha Berksoy: Aria of All Colors” exhibition at Istanbul Modern. Born in 1910 and passed away in 2004, Berksoy was not only Turkey's first female opera singer; she was also a multifaceted intellectual of the Republic who made the stage her canvas, the brush her voice, and life itself art.

The exhibition, featuring over 200 works by Berksoy, is not merely a retrospective; it presents a layered narrative that reveals the unique relationships she forged between opera, theatre, painting, and literature. The selection, ranging from early drawings to opera-themed paintings she brought to the stage, from self-portraits to tablecloth paintings, reveals Berksoy's personal mythology and the deep connection she had with the stage.

She left her mark with her role as Ayşim in Özsoy, the first Turkish opera seen by Atatürk in 1934. In 1939, she became the first Turkish soprano to appear on the European stage, taking on the leading role in Richard Strauss's opera Ariadne auf Naxos in Berlin. She was also the lead actress in Turkey's first sound film, *Istanbul Streets*. She also entered the world of literature with her short story *Letter from the Grave*, published in 1935. At the age of 89, she performed at the Lincoln Center in New York; her paintings were exhibited at the Venice Biennale.

The exhibition explores all these works through a thematic structure. In a red room, the stage atmosphere is recreated, and the warmth of improvisation is felt in the canvas paintings. In the literature room, Berksoy's relationship with her pen is examined. In the film archive, stills from *Istanbul Streets* trace her mark on cinema.

*Museum tickets can be obtained at the box office.

Full Ticket 550 TL

Student 320 TL

https://www.oggusto.com/sanat/sanatci/semiha-berksoy-kimdir-eserleri

Wednesday, February 18

12:00-13:00

Address: Kılıçali Paşa, Tophane İskele Caddesi No:1/1, Beyoğlu

https://maps.app.goo.gl/68yTiXfyim5apcri6?g_st=ic