2023, KarmaComa, Anna Laudel Gallery

 Artists: Cem A., Serdar Acar, Ece Agirtmis, Ates Alpar, Ronit Baranga, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Isabella Chydenius, Ebru Dosekci, Alicia Framis, Ece Haskan, Berka Beste Kopuz, Mert Ege Kose, Alican Leblebici, Adriana Ramic, Sally von Rosen, Hoda Tawakol, Koray Tokdemir, Metehan Torer, Nathalie Rey, and Nevet Yitzhak

Anna Laudel Bodrum continues its diverse exhibition program during the summer season with “KarmaComa,” a captivating group exhibition curated by Ayca Okay, offering an engaging exploration of Turkish television's melodramatic world. From daytime broadcasts to seasonal soap operas, "KarmaComa" weaves together provocative, sometimes even satirical references to every emotional moment, alluring audiences with its surprising narrative.

The exhibition, featuring an innovative lineup of artists, including Cem A., Serdar Acar, Ece Ağırtmış, Ateş Alpar, Ronit Baranga, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Isabella Chydenius, Ebru Döşekçi, Alicia Framis, Ece Haskan, Berka Beste Kopuz, Mert Ege Köse, Alican Leblebici, Adriana Ramić, Sally von Rosen, Hoda Tawakol, Koray Tokdemir, Metehan Törer, Nathalie Rey, and Nevet Yitzhak, will be on display until 3 September 2023 at ZAI Yaşam.

KarmaComa, much like the tumultuous periods brought by modernity humanity finds itself in nowadays, seeks to address contemporary issues through an avant-garde perspective by making reference to acts of theatrical rebellion. 

The exhibition echoes the colorful, geometric, and fairytale-like qualities found in Oskar Schemmler's Bauhaus opera, embracing a similar narrative in its presentation by bringing together works from various disciplines and multi-dimensional materiality such as animal skin masks, transformed ceramic cups, and non-functional water guns, as well as performances of nightlife and stage sets. Furthermore, KarmaComa delves into internet memes, fictional journeys to imaginary cities, the use of computer technologies to interpret images and text, and explores visuals created on the basis of traditional weaving techniques. The artworks presented in the exhibition explore passion, pain, inner discovery, and the stages of healing, drawing parallels between how we portray our own daily life and what we are the witness of in the world of melodramatic soap operas.

KarmaComa invites viewers to engage with the complexities of modern-day society through a theatrical lens and performative elements of contemporary art.

Text by Ayca Okay