Friday, September 25, 2009

"Trade Show" Opening at Isik University, Istanbul




OK, am in the Madrid airport for a 5-hour layover, and am finally able to catch up on my blogging.
The opening of the Trade Show at Isik University was a great success. The gallery was large and well lit. We hung each piece by wires because the gallery walls can't take nails. That meant many of the works had to be mounted on light stretcher bars, which framers did in one night. The show has grown to over 250 works.
The opening was quite formal, with waiters serving wine and appetizers, everyone dressed up, university t.v. coverage, and speeches by the head of the printmaking department, the dean and the president of the university. I also spoke, with my Turkish partner, about how the exhibition evolved.
Everyone loved the show, and many commented how important it is for students to see art from America mixed in with Turkish work.
The show will be up for a month in Istanbul, and then the Turkish artists will choose their American work, and the Turkish art will be sent back so each American artist can have one. Should be fun!

2 comments:

Richard Gleaves said...

Kloe,

Many thanks for the Istanbul data - it's good to hear what the world art is up to. Here's something I found in today's NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/arts/design/02group.html?pagewanted=1&8dpc

Would be curious to know how well this work synchs with what you saw.

- RG

kloeamongtheturks said...

Seems to have some similarities. Although the work at the Istanbul Biennial almost never referred to traditional crafts of the artists' regions; the works was surprisingly consistent in its use of media. The wall labels didn't say what country the artist was from; you'd think it was just a few people running around the world reporting injustice.

You guys are great, keep up the wonderful blogging.