EurHope 1153; Contemporary Art from the Bosphorus

EurHope 1153
Contemporary Art from the Bosphorus

Villa Manin- Centre for Contemporary Art

Curated by Francesco Bonami and Sarah Cosulich Canarutto

Dates: October 28th 2006 - February 25th 2007
Vernissage: Saturday 28. October 2006 - 6pm

Haluk Akakçe
Fikret Atay
Bashir Borlakov
Osman Bozkurt
Banu Cennetoglu
Hüseyin Çağlayan
Cevdet Erek
Esra Ersen
İnci Eviner
Hatice Güleryüz
Gülsün Karamustafa
Ömer Ali Kazma
Sefer Memisoglu
Ahmet Ögüt & Osman Bingöl
Erkan Özgen
Nasan Tur

1153 are the sea miles separating the Gulf of Trieste from the Istanbul harbour. A symbolic journey aiming to follow the history, to underline the present but also to inspire future relationships between two countries of a world in constant evolution. The exhibition EurHope 1153, organized by the Villa Manin Centre for Contemporary Art, will present a group of Turkish artists who mainly use video and photography and who, in their work, expose a multifaceted and dynamic world, particularly relevant in relation to the current international artistic developments.
The need to create original narratives reflecting the changes occurred in the recent years in Turkey, the necessity to freely make use of different expressive media and the wish to experiment are some of the aspects which characterise the approaches and languages in the exhibition. The artists express a biting irony that unmasks both national and daily mythologies: from the rielaboration of a both rich and complex past to the urgency of analysing the contradictions of contemporary society, their works offer intense occasions for reflection on the relationships between art, individual and society.
Bringing the visions of these artists to Italy, EurHope 1153 aims to be a tool for exchange and understanding of different realities through contemporary art.

The show EurHope 1153 runs in parallel with the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia’s initiative I Turchi in Europa (The Turks in Europe), in synergy with the Italian and Turkish governments. The project, which supports this country’s entry in Europe, develops through a programme of exhibitions, meetings and events in the sites of Palmanova, Pordenone, Trieste, Udine, Gorizia and Cividale.

www.villamanincontemporanea.it

monthly photo / korea

if anybody could understand Japanese:)

Censorship of screening “Light Armoured”

September 4th 2006. Monday night,Tepebasi Square, Istanbul.
Protests are taking place in Ankara because Turkey is sending armed forces to Lebanon. Policemen are gathered in the aforementioned square.


“yama” is a platform for contemporary art, an urban screen, that opened in July in order to communicate art to reach a wider audience in the city of Istanbul. The second screening started on August 13th and was programmed to finish at the end of September. “Light Armoured” 2006, is an animation piece by Istanbul based artist Ahmet Ögüt that is presenting a Land Rover transformed into an army vehicle of which representative character is unclear, due to the lack of any referential symbols. Stones coming from the outside-right side of the screen are attacking the jeep. This turns out to be a gesture because the stones barely touch the vehicle. There is not any kind of crime depicted. It was a constant anti-war gesture repeating itself all night in an era where television screens show national channels where nothing but violence, war atrocities and bombings are being broadcasted.
When September 4th, the police gathered on the square, they saw the work and got scared that it might provoke possible terrorists in Beyoglu and shut it down straight away. The following days the lawyer of The Marmara Hotels negotiated and discussed with police officers about art and its limits and how art can be used as a political tool in order to educate and give birth to terrorists. In the mind of the censor, the work was about nothing more than insult and provocation and shutting it off, was considered a protection towards society. The hotel who dealt with the issue was very patient, very well informed and completely supportive to the artist and curator.
Unfortunately, the policemen refused any other screening of this work and after a lot of pressure put on the representatives of The Marmara Hotels, ‘yama’ was informed not to continue screening it. The prearranged gathering party on September 7th took place without the work on the screen.
As initiator of the opening of ‘yama’, Sylvia Kouvali, who’s responsible for the first year of screenings, can say that she’s positive of the fact that “Light Armoured” was shown in public for twenty days and that the platform “yama” is functioning very well as a public art space since it is being noticed by the wider public.
“yama” will continue its activities, starting from the end of September as it was planned and the screen will stay shut till the date that Ahmet Ögüt’s piece was supposed to play.


For more information:

Yama
Contact: Sylvia Kouvali
yama.opening@earthlink.net
www.yama.com.tr