At our 561st Art Gathering, we are visiting the Olympos Exhibitions “Still Life.”
This project is a multi-layered art initiative inspired by Taner Ceylan’s olive grove in Olympos, bringing together exhibition, publication, and mentoring processes. Organized by Taner Ceylan Studio, it hosts the works of emerging artists in various disciplines such as painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation in historical venues of Istanbul. The project is also accompanied by publications featuring texts written by renowned Turkish artists. In Ceylan’s words, “what comes with art returns to art”; this entire process comes to life with the independent support of collectors and individuals and institutions from the art community.
The fourth edition of the series, “Still Life,” will be on display at Eski Posta Han in Karaköy from June 12-26. Previously launched in 2019 with "Portrait" at the Sadık Paşa Mansion, the series moved to Zülfaris Karaköy for "Landscape" in 2021 and to the Historical Flour Mill Building for "Interior" in 2024. Focusing on five fundamental themes of art history, this project now concentrates on still life. The exhibition features works by Ayşe Uluçay, Chorus of Body, Defne Hadiş, Ece Erbil, Hilmican Özdemir, Manolya Çelikler, Onur Kaymak, Özge Akdeniz, and Sinan Orakçı. Ceylan, through a mentoring process spanning approximately two years, rethinks the concept of still life with the artists through their own practices, research, and material choices.
Still life, in its classical sense, is a deeply rooted genre based on the representation of objects, interwoven with themes such as time, transience, ownership, and death. This exhibition interprets that tradition through the eyes of contemporary artists. The book focuses on the diverse uses of object, image, and material in contemporary art. Works encompassing painting, sculpture, installation, and various other media establish a strong dialogue with the historical postal, printing, and commercial identity of Eski Posta Han, a significant example of late 19th-century Istanbul architecture.
As in previous editions, “Still Life” is accompanied by a comprehensive book. Edited by Süreyyya Evren, designed by Vahit Tuna, and featuring reproduction photographs by Engin Gerçek, the publication includes contributions from Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar, Alp İşmen, Ani Çelik Arevyan, Burçak Bingöl, Canan Tolon, Doğu Özgün, Ezgi Kılınçaslan, Hakan Akçura, Ilgın Seymen, İrem Tok, Kaan Fıçıcı, Lara Ögel, Mehmet Ali Boran, Nazan Azeri, Pelda Aytaş, and Sena, who explore the concept of still life through works that have left a mark on their lives. The book also brings together thoughts on still life paintings by artists from different periods such as Arcimboldo, Bacon, Van Gogh, Magritte, Burri, Claudia Hart, Odilon Redon, Nur Koçak, Ori Gersht, and Feyhaman Duran, while also including special texts written by Taner Ceylan for the artists in the exhibition.
Wednesday, June 24
12:00-13:00
Address: Eski Posta Han, Arap Cami Mahallesi, Bereketzade Medresesi Sokak No:21, Beyoğlu
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7Np9dSFup4SzQ9sb9?g_st=ic
