ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Launched in June 2010 as one of the first public exhibition venues of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture, Sanat Limanı hosts national and international artists in five exhibitions and the ‘amber’10 Art and Technology Festival’
Five new exhibitions and the amber’10 Art and Technology Festival meet art lovers under the roof of Sanat Limanı.
One of the first public exhibition venues for the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture, Sanat Limanı (Art Port) is welcoming five new exhibitions and a festival.
Gathering artists from the Gulf area, the exhibitions “Edge of Arabia Istanbul Transition;” “amber’10 Art and Technology Festival;” International art initiative “xurban_collective” project; “Sea of Marble: A Navigational Convergence;” “Fractal Flowers” by the French artist Miguel Chevalier; City and the Art Project results Exhibition and Bennu Gerede’s “Love Ceremonies/Customs” were introduced to audience during a cocktail party held at Sanat Limanı last week.
Hosted by the executive chairman of the board of the 2010 agency, Şekib Avdagiç, the opening gathered prominent names of the media and culture-art circles.
Stating that the public exhibition venue model at Sanat Limanı was one of the most important permanent works of the agency, Avdagiç said the following about the exhibitions and the festival:
“These artworks in different disciplines and taking our city with different perspectives are not only bringing together the prominent names of their domains, but are also inspired by the multicultural structure of our city. I have no doubt that this exhibition would turn the eyes of art-lovers toward Istanbul once again.”
Six projects, six concepts
Formed in 2003 by British artist Stephen Stapleton and Saudi artists at the Al Meftaha Arts Village in Abha, “Edge of Arabia” has always been at its core a grassroots initiative.
From the mountains of Aseer to the back streets of Jeddah, Stapleton and “Edge of Arabia” co-founders Ahmed Mater and Abdulnasser Gharem spent the five years traveling the length and breadth of the country in search of outstanding artists voices to showcase in London.
“Edge of Arabia” officially launched with a major exhibition in London in October 2008. The project has since grown and with the vision of a new creative director, Abdullah Al-Turki, and a growing network of support, presented the first-ever showing of contemporary art from Saudi Arabia at the 53rd Venice Biennial. In January 2010, “Edge of Arabia” launched a world tour that has so far traveled to the Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh, Art Dubai and the 6th Berlin Biennial. The exhibition will run through Dec. 26.
Within the scope of the “amber’10 Art and Technology Festival,” several exhibitions are held under the titles “Datacity,” “Global Gateway ” and “Amusing Interface Cultures” to present colorful works of technology.
For the first time in history, the world’s urban population has exceeded the rural population and cities have become the main habitat of mankind. Amber’10 takes up the relation between the city and technology as a main theme. The festival can be visited until Nov. 14.
Exhibition and symposium
“Xurban_collective,” an initiative formed by Güven İncirlioğlu, Hakan Topal, Mahir M. Yavuz and Atıf Akı, presents the “Sea of Marble: A Navigational Convergence (2009-2010),” which is comprised of an exhibition and a symposium about research on global maritime traffic and human smuggling carried along by international trade and the world economy. The exhibition will be open until Dec. 26.
The symposium will take place at Sanat Limani on Dec. 4 with the participation of Ursula Biemann from Zurich, Shuruq A. M. Harb from Ramallah, T.J. Demos and John Palmesino from London, Vyjayanthi Rao and Alex Villar from New York and Relli De Vries from Tel Aviv.
The “Fractal Flowers in Vitro” installation by French artist Miguel Chevalier is included in the project “Portable Art,” one of the main projects by the 2010 agency. The exhibition features giant fractal flowers in infinite numbers and in various colors and dimensions as created on unique software. It will be open at the Sanat Limanı through Nov. 15 and will move to Boğaziçi University’s northern campus between Nov. 25 and Dec. 5.
Chevalier is known internationally as a pioneer of virtual and digital art. His images are a rich source of insights into the human relationship with the world. He has developed and refined his highly individual approach over the course of numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the world.
In her exhibition “Love Ceremonies/Customs,” Bennu Gerede presents an edited selection of photographs to describe honor killings, love and passion crimes in Turkey. The exhibition will run until Nov. 12.
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