Artists: Fırat Engin, Leyla Emadi, Nergiz Yeşil, Hakan Yılmaz, Jennifer İpekel and Murat Germen
The exhibition titled "Sahre," designed as a respite and celebration that embraces everyone to honor SANKO Holding's magnificent 120-year corporate journey, showcases the strong collaboration between a well-established industrial institution and six distinguished contemporary artists.
Drawing inspiration from the multilayered historical fabric of Gaziantep, the share culture represents not only a "moment" from the past but also special days of solidarity, unity, and the celebration of life. Drawing from the spirit of the shared tradition, we celebrate shared values such as commitment, resilience, collective work, and sustainability. In doing so, we aim to carry the knowledge and experience of the past into the future, delving deeply into the dynamics of industrialization, its relationships with all living beings, and the reflections of human labor in art, thereby contributing meaningfully to the cultural and artistic development of society.
Featuring works by Hakan Yılmaz, Leyla Emadi, Fırat Engin, Jennifer İpekel, Nergiz Yeşil, and Murat Germen, the exhibition transcends traditional production methods and ways of thinking, just as SANKO Holding has adopted throughout its development journey. Artists with an unconventional perspective and the ability to challenge the norms of creative thought present their innovative ideas, transforming existing systems and processes, to the audience.
The word "industry" is etymologically a term encompassing production and creativity. Examining the process of the Sahre exhibition through this concept allows for the exploration of the depths of collaboration between artists and industry. The practices of the artists, combined with technological production, create unique creative expressions that merge aesthetics and functionality. The interaction between art and industry evolves into a dynamic bond that nourishes creativity. Archive records animated by artificial intelligence offer a digitally enriched experience space augmented by sound elements. The profound connections humans establish with the universe are expressed aesthetically through intergenerational value transfers, facilitated by collaboration with robotic production systems. The concepts of preservation, storage, and transfer are presented with an auditory and poetic narrative. The enduring relationship between humanity and the cosmos is depicted through various locally inspired symbols.
Sahre presents art not only as a form of expression but also as a dynamic tool for envisioning social transformation.
With gratitude to everyone who contributed…
Text by Ayça Okay