2021, Terra IncognIta, DIRImart

Artists: CANAN, Canan Tolon, Cagri Saray, Fabio Lattanzi Antinori, Koray Tokdemir, Murat Germen, Nancy Atakan, Nasan Tur, Nohlab, Ozan Atalan, and Seydi Murat Koc

The Contemporary Istanbul Foundation is proud to enter its third year, continuing its commitment to sustainability and the responsible use of resources. This year’s exhibition series, which is grounded in three core principles—research, application, and sharing—launches with Terra Incognita, a focus on ecological balance and sustainability.

The extinction of species, rapid climate change, and the unsustainable use of resources have brought the planet closer to what is being termed the sixth mass extinction. While many individual actions can mitigate the effects of climate change, public awareness remains insufficient. Terra Incognita (Latin for “Undiscovered Territories”) uses the metaphor of trees to explore the unknown but necessary measures required to address climate change.

Trees have long appeared in narratives, from ancient times to the present, as metaphors for ideology, architecture, genealogy, and ethics. However, they are more than mere symbols. Trees are vital agents of sustainability for human life and play a central role in ecological balance. Through their mycorrhizal networks, trees demonstrate unique sociability, and they serve as a social shelter in public spaces. These qualities reveal the depth of our relationship with trees, two distinct living organisms connected in various ways. As they grow, trees create spaces that facilitate the free movement of people and add layers of meaning. They have also been symbolic figures in the fight for democracy, linking life and freedom, as celebrated in Nazım Hikmet’s poetry.

Though trees are integral to our modern struggle for survival, they also herald their own extinction. Terra Incognita aims to raise awareness about the Plant for Life initiative by the Yves Rocher Foundation, which has long promoted widespread afforestation. The exhibition showcases works by 11 contemporary artists who, through striking and provocative pieces—sometimes presented as debris scattered across the space, or through the disruption of darkness via noise or moving imagery—seek to draw attention to the urgency of these issues and create greater awareness.

Text by Ayca Okay