Curator - OSLO OPEN ınternatıonal Curators Vısıtıng Program

SomoS is pleased to present Criss-Cross Pollination, a group exhibition examining the socio-politic relationships between Botanics and humans within the framework of migrancy. It uses narration as a tool to address persisting critiques of global policies on migration and their impact on immigrants, involving topics such as belonging, identity, and alienation.

Integrating the results of botanical archive research and a series of surveys, the exhibition builds on the curator’s and participating artists’ personal experiences of finding ethnic coexistence in a foreign country. With “plant” as its central metaphor, it explores connections between the movement of humans and that of plants, highlighting the vital importance of diversity and cross-pollination versus the negative effects of monoculture.

Curated by Ayça Okay as part of her curatorial residence at SomoS, the exhibition features noted artists originally from Turkey, Germany, Syria, and Egypt: Anwar Al Atrash, İnci Eviner, Jasmina Metwaly, Manaf Halbouni, and Verena Kyselka.

In the project, Okay relies on her extensive research on Urbanism, Post-Anthropocentrism, Ecocriticism, Entanglement Theory (in Archeology), and Critical Arts Theory to analyze the role of Botanics and humans within the perspective of urban life. The curator’s residency experience in Berlin as a Turkish art professional influenced the project. As she states, “I learned that plants, like humans, are exposed to various biological pressures by the dominant species in the ecosystem they migrate to. This migration, which is sometimes devastating for the migrant, can sometimes be devastating for the migrating ecosystem. Plants also go through a process where they are exposed to as much ‘paperwork’ as humans.”

It is clear that the organic is no match for the legal, however. Proposing new ways of looking at migration, Criss-Cross Pollination invites the audience to consider the value of mobility to existing social designs and ecosystems, as it touches upon the experiences of individuals as they adapt, just like plants. In this way, following the suggestion of the French writer and poet Eduard Glissant, the exhibition proposes a different way of thinking about migration, replacing it with the expression “SoJourner.”

Across its diverse artistic positions, the exhibition addresses highly current issues, regarded and interpreted from a migrant point of view, in a plea for an accessible interconnected global world.

The Contemporary Istanbul Foundation is organizing a charity exhibition in collaboration with the international art and culture exchange platform Istanbul Artist Residency and Ukrainian curator Polina Somochkina to raise funds for Ukrainian children that have suffered as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The exhibition called ‘Make Art for Peace’ will be held on April 28 – May 1 in Fisekhane, a heritage site in Istanbul’s historic Zeytinburnu district.

“We hope the funds raised by the ‘Make Art for Peace’ initiative will help provide relief to the most vulnerable victims of this cruel war. Children must never have to go through such unspeakable suffering,” said Ali Gureli, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Contemporary Istanbul Foundation.

The event is also supported by the Consulate General of Ukraine in Istanbul, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Istanbul, and the UNICEF Turkish National Committee.

“In times of crisis, art can be a powerful instrument for peace and unity. This is why we called this charity event ‘Make Art For Peace’ to honor the children left behind in Ukraine and the artist community mobilized for this cause,” said Polina Somochkina, Co-founder and Art Director of Istanbul Artist Residency.

‘Make Art for Peace’ has also drawn interest from local and international art collectors, artists, businesses, social entrepreneurs, and members of the diplomatic corps. Highlights will include a performance by internationally acclaimed musicians Yevgeniy Kostrytskyy and Rustam Rahmedov of the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra.

“We condemn Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, which is inflicting suffering on the Ukrainian population, including children. We stand firm against the violence inflicted on this world’s future generation and on the peace of our planet. Art is both the expression of our collective creativity and the best humanity can offer to heal our spirits,” said Roman Nedilskyi, Consul General of Ukraine in Istanbul.

“Make Art for Peace” will present the works of the following artists:

• Serhiy Savchenko, Ukraine
• Andrii Bludov, Ukraine
• Petro Smetana, Ukraine
• Yurij Savter, Ukraine
• Zuzanna Dolega, Poland
• Michal Czuba, Poland
• Rusudan Khizanishvili, Georgia
• Merve Morkoc, Turkey
• Mustafa Boga, Turkey
• Lal Batman, Turkey
• Nancy Atakan, Turkey
• Murat Germen, Turkey
• Eymen Aktel, Turkey
• Mr. Hure, Turkey
• Hale Tenger, Turkey
• Nilbar Gures, Turkey
• Alla Guner, Turkey Ukraine
• Koray Tokdemir, Turkey

Co-curators: Ayca Okay,Polina Somochkina

The project, which aims to transform Istanbul into a giant digital art platform, was launched at an online meeting on Dec. 5 with the participation of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and Contemporary Istanbul Foundation CEO Ali Güreli.

Stating that he was very pleased with the cooperation between the Contemporary Istanbul Foundation and the Istanbul Municipality, İmamoğlu said, “I am happy to contribute to a very valuable project that will bring art and light together in Istanbul.”

Stating that he got excited at the time when the project was proposed to him, İmamoğlu said, “I felt that such an event would suit this city, which we know is the leading art center of the world, and we want to achieve this goal altogether.”

“This city has given strong messages to its immediate surroundings and the world throughout history. Istanbul is an important city that has the potential to lead the world not only in the field of culture and arts but also in economy, commerce, philosophy and theology. I feel this project will reveal very valuable traces in every context of the city,” he added.

Noting that the works that will be exhibited in 59 different public spaces and 52 city screens in the city that will be glorifying Istanbul, İmamoğlu said the city would give a message to the world through art during the pandemic process.

Ahmet Rüstem Ekici
Ahmet Said Kaplan
Alp Tuğan
Arda Yalkın
Ayşe Gül Süter 
Balkan Karişman
Barış Gürsel 
Barış Kabalak
Berkan Alkan 
Burak Dağ 
Burak Şentürk
Büşra Çeğil
Ece Kibaroğlu
Emre Namyeter
Emre Okçuer
Enes Fuat Genç
Erinç Seymen 
Esra Koruç
Ethem Onur Bilgiç
Fahrettin Aykut
Fatih Sevimlikurt
Fırat Engin
Fuat Değirmenci
Furkan Nuka Birgün
Gökalp Gönen
Güvenç Özel
ha:ar 
Hakan Yılmaz
Hande Şekerciler 
Hazal Ünsal
Kıvanç Tatar 
Lal Batman
Lara Kamhi
Melis Buyruk 
Meltem Şahin
Memo Akten
Mert Ege Köse
Murat Palta
Murat Saygıner
Osman Koç
Ouchhh
Ozan Gönen
Ozan Turkkan
Pırıl Sili
RAW: Selçuk Artut & Alp Tuğan
Resole: Ecem Dilan Köse & Ahmet Ünver
Selin Balcı
Selin Çınar
Süleyman Yılmaz
Tuba Elmas
Tunca
Under1Minute 

Co-curators: Ayca Okay, Esra Özkan