WE BELONG

PRESS RELEASE ISTANBUL’74 presents its first exhibition entitled “WE BELONG” at its new space in Clubhouse Bebek. Marking the launch of an exciting new cultural partnership, ISTANBUL’74 will now be presenting a diverse array of programming in the spirit of bringing a community together around arts and culture. With the participation of over twenty contemporary artists, the group exhibition will be on view through 15 January 2024 and can be visited by appointment only. In the current global landscape marked by societal complexities and challenges, “WE BELONG” is a profound exploration of the fundamental human need to belong – to a place, a culture, a community. The group show attempts to offer different windows and pathways to intricate communal issues, raising questions related to the culture of belonging, connection, and community. Curated by Demet Müftüoğlu Eşeli, “WE BELONG” introduces some inaugurations and premieres to the audience. Robert Montgomery’s work titled “Love is the Revolutionary Energy,” will be exhibited for the first time in Istanbul after being showcased at the Louvre Museum Tuileries Garden during Art Basel Paris 2022. Also featured is Alper Aydın’s large-scale site-specific installation titled “Red Pill,” known for making a significant impact with his solo exhibition in Ordu, Turkiye. Ekin Bernay’s online performance as part of “Resilient Responses,” created during the pandemic period for the Tate Modern’s Terra Foundation for American Art Series: New Perspectives in 2021, has been transformed into an installation and will be presented as a physical installation for the first time as part of “WE BELONG.” Additionally, the exhibition features a documentary on the mural series “The Wrinkles of the City, La Havana,” realized during the 2012 Havana Biennial by Cuban-American artist José Parlá and Paris-based photographer JR, frequent collaborators of ISTANBUL’74. The exhibition includes works by prominent artists such as German artist Anselm Reyle known for his large-scale abstract paintings; leading conceptual artist Jorinde Voigt;  Mexican artist Bosco Sodi; painter and architect Erol Akyavaş; one of Turkey’s first modernist painters Nejad Devrim; painter, mural artist, writer, and poet Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu; one of Turkey’s pioneering conceptual artists Sarkis; Ahmet Doğu İpek who combines traditional materials like watercolor with innovative techniques; Belkıs Balpınar, a pioneer of the artkilim movement; Mehmet Ali Uysal known for his large-scale installations that alter the viewer’s perception of space, contemporary painter Kemal Seyhan; Brussels-based artist duo :mentalKLINIK; American conceptual artist Mike Berg; sculptor Osman Dinç known for his steel, wood, and glass works; Burçak Bingöl famous for her works addressing alienation, identity, and tradition; NOHLAB studio designing interdisciplinary experiences around art, design, and technology, artist, architect, and writer Sinan Logie; Işıl Kapu producing works on the theme of preserving cultural objects, sculptor Burcu Erden; Argun Okumuşoğlu referencing the diversity in world art history and Turkish culture in his works, Korean visual artist and theorist Cody Choi; Berke Yazıcıoğlu, known for his notable exploration of musical themes, reinterprets them through visual art practices; and Nejat Satı who establishes a plastic relationship reflecting the industrial spirit of the age through painting. Additionally, the exhibition features a documentary on the mural series “The Wrinkles of the City, La Havana,” realized during the 2012 Havana Biennial by Cuban-American artist José Parlá and Paris-based photographer JR, frequent collaborators of ISTANBUL’74. The exhibition, bringing together iconic names and contemporary artists, strives to create a space to explore new ways of unity and community beyond physical spaces and cultural histories. Collaborating Galleries and Platforms:

• Galeri Nev İstanbul
• Dirimart
• Performistanbul
• Pi Artworks
• Galeri Bosfor
• Galeri Siyah Beyaz
• Öktem Aykut
• Sevil Dolmacı Gallery

Lighting Partner: TEPTA Aydınlatma