Four exhibitions planned prior to the devastating earthquakes grapple with presciently timely themes of loss, healing and transformation.

Jennifer Hattam
Jennifer Hattam is a freelance journalist based in Istanbul, where she writes about arts and culture, environmental issues, food and drink, politics and society, travel, and urbanism.
Art Orgs Mobilize Support After Turkey-Syria Earthquakes
Artists and cultural organizations have been contributing to the post-disaster relief efforts despite their own needs for support.
Turkey Targets Film Deemed “LGBT Propaganda”
The Turkish Culture Ministry has demanded its funding back on an award-winning independent film after a smear campaign by conservative media.
The Stage as a “Living Concept” in Turkey’s Performance Art
While The 90s Onstage looks back to a dynamic moment in Turkey’s performance art scene, Ata Doğruel’s “Light Source” reflects on the present.
Photographing History’s Silences and Gaps
A former journalist, Sim Chi Yin came to question the primacy of archival sources after realizing the deliberate decisions behind what gets included or excluded.
A Kurdish Artist’s Creative Resistance From Behind Bars
“Politics, war and oppression are a part of my life,” Fatoş İrwen explained of her current solo show, Exceptional Times.
Walk With Me: A Performance Artist Adapts to the Pandemic
For two weeks last fall, performance artist Alisa Oleva walked with 33 different women in Istanbul; sometimes for 30 minutes, sometimes for three hours, but always from 1500 miles away.
Revisiting Photography’s First Road Trip
Ten Turkish artists follow daguerreotypist Frédéric Auguste Antoine Goupil-Fesquet’s 180-year-old journey through the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkish Arts Philanthropist Acquitted, Then Detained Again
Imprisoned since 2017, Osman Kavala was found not guilty of attempting to overthrow the government, but re-detained on new charges before he could even taste freedom.
The Artist Walking Between Two Seas in Istanbul
For years, artist Serkan Taycan has documented a nearly 40-mile route through the outskirts of Istanbul, which traverses rarely seen landscapes. He facilitates walks through the area, now at risk due to a proposed shipping canal.
Controversy in Istanbul Underscores Rising Political Pressures on Turkish Art Scene
A nationalist message from the head of the country’s biggest contemporary art fair stands in stark contrast to limits of expression on other segments of the Turkish art world.
Weaving a New Future for a Traditional Turkish Craft
A small group of fine artists are bringing renewed attention to the practice of weaving by incorporating it into their artworks.