The group exhibition, which takes place in dialogue with the historical sites on the island, exhibits new and existing works of more than 17 international artists, including William Kentridge, Goshka Macuga, Cevdet Erek, Maryam Turkey and Lindsey Mendick, at four important points on the island.
“All Things Become Islands Before My Senses”, which will continue until August 18 and takes its name from Cesare Pavese's poem "The Passion of Solitude", explores the complex relationship of time, water and the history of the island of Leros.
Perasma , In parallel with the exhibition “All Things Become Islands Before My Senses” Burcu Fikretoğlu and Gizem Naz Kudunoğlu It celebrates new beginnings, meetings and unity on its new path in partnership with . The exhibition, which is in its second edition this year, revolves around the idea that the fluidity of existence can create both beauty and difficulty, especially on an island with such a complex and rich history. On Leros, the cyclical nature of time intertwines with its maritime heritage. As the ships come and go, the island becomes a center where the past and present intersect, carrying stories of trade, discovery and conquest. History, mythology, fantasy, ghosts and reality are laid out layer by layer on the island like currents of water. Leros, which is very close to the Turkish mainland and is included in the Dodecanese Islands group, bears the traces of a turbulent history such as the Italian occupation, and this shapes the unique architecture of the island.
Cansu YILDIRAN
Artists in the exhibition:
Alice Guittard, Cansu Yıldıran, Cevdet Erek, Enzo Cucchi, Evgenia Vereli, Farida El Gazzar, Goshka Macuga, Kostis Velonis, Laura Footes, Lindsey Mendick, Malvina Panagiotidi, Maryam Turkey, Necla Rüzgar, Nermi̇n Er, Paweł Althamer, Sophie von Hellermann, William Kentridge.
Highlights from the exhibition:
The exhibition will include William Kentridge 's film "Shadow Procession" , which was first shown at the Istanbul Biennial in 1999. Kentridge is known for exploring time, colonial history, and the hopes and failures of revolutionary politics through his animated drawings and films. Polish artist Goshka Macuga will present a new experimental horror film he shot on the island. This film will be the first time Macuga has worked with his film practice and will feature actors from a local theater group. Istanbul artist Cevdet Erek will present a site-specific installation of his "SSS - Coastal Stage Sound" project at the Primary School and a reading performance including the Greek edition of his book with the same title, which will be released in the coming days, and at Perasma Venue he will present a new version of his sound glass work called "Jingle" produced with goat bells supplied from Leros. Turkish artist Cansu Yıldıran and Iraqi-American artist Maryam Turkey will participate in the artist-in-residence program on the island and produce new works for the exhibition. Yıldıran will create a new photography series, while Turkey will create a new light sculpture series and a site-specific installation using found objects from Leros.
Polish artist Paweł Althamer will transform the Leros Maritime Club into a month-long Art Academy for children from immigrant communities, holding workshops with internationally renowned professors. Additionally, Althamer will present sculpture series at various locations in Leros as part of the exhibition. The exhibition also includes monoprints and canvas paintings by Margate-based British artist Laura Footes , German artist Sophie von Hellerman 's series of paintings, Greek sculptor Kostis Velonis 's work on Leros. It will include his site-specific installation using materials found in the shipyard and sculptures from Enzo Cucchi 's "Testa di Van Gogh" (1995) series.
Perasma works closely with local individuals and institutions on the island, through exhibitions and residencies on the island.
Paweł ALTHAMER
Exhibition venues:
The architectural landscape of Leros, which combines urban neoclassicism and early Italian modernism with the island's archaic tradition and nature, forms the backdrop for the exhibition "All Things Become Islands Before My Senses" . The works are exhibited at five main points on the island:
-Cinema Rome and Primary School are iconic rationalist buildings completed as part of the new town development of Portolago in the 1930s, during the period when the island was under Italian occupation.
-Xerokampos Old Barracks are abandoned structures from the period of former Italian and German occupation of the island, containing an unexpected series of frescoes, such as copies of “Brueghel The Elder” painted by the former occupiers.
-Leros Sailing Club is a prominent island institution founded in 1979 in a renovated ammunition depot building in Koulouki Bay.
- Perasma Venue is a special exhibition space dedicated to Perasma, located in a neoclassical mansion built in 1886 in Agia Marina.
About Perasma:
Perasma is an art platform co-managed by Burcu Fikretoğlu and Gizem Naz Kudunoğlu. The formation, which has been going on since 2017, primarily under the name SIGNS and since the pandemic as Perasma, aims to provide a dynamic stage to bring the works of young, mid-career or world-renowned artists to new audiences. It attaches importance to establishing connections between the art community in and around Istanbul and the wider international art world, and to strengthen this bond by exhibiting the works of local and international artists side by side. Perasma, who has collaborated with more than 60 artists such as Alfredo Jaar, Joan Jonas, William Kentridge, Kara Walker, continues his work by prioritizing the interaction and nourishment between artists and cultures.
Website: www.perasma.istanbul
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perasmaistanbul/
Perasma would like to thank Beylerbeyi İçecek Pazarlama, Aegean, Blue Star Ferries, Dodekanisos Seaways, Grand Hyatt, Archontiko Angelou, Germanos Group, Touline, Homemade Aromaterapi, Jotun, Ethnicloom, Raven Brewing, Trinity Wines and Mylos Taverna for their contributions to the realization of the "All Things Become Islands Before My Senses" exhibition.
