Bozlu Art Project is proud to host the group exhibition “Hâlâ Hayattayım / I Am Still Alive” from October 27th 2020 to January 30th 2021. Curated by Özlem İnay Erten, the exhibition explores from a contemporary perspective humankind’s lifelong endeavour to continue to exist (conatus) in the face of its finite nature, based on the theme of ‘self-portrait’ deemed for centuries in art history to be a trace of the artist’s existence.
The exhibition Hâlâ Hayattayım / I Am Still Alive takes its inspiration from famous painter Edvard Munch’s Self-Portrait with the Spanish Flu and Self-Portrait After the Spanish Flu dated 1919. These self-portraits painted by Munch after contracting the Spanish Flu, which took millions of lives, are as much a reflection of the overall society’s cry and struggle for survival at the time as they are of the artist’s state of mind during and after his illness.
The exhibition’s curator Özlem İnay Erten summarizes its inception with the following words: “Underlying our thematic decision to focus on self-portrait, which has throughout history been a way for artists to declare ‘I was here, I lived’, a manifestation of their desire to leave behind a ‘mark’ of their existence, is an attempt to look at the impact and experience of the personal and societal trauma caused by the Covid-19 pandemic we are currently undergoing, and reinterpret it through the artist’s body and self-image. As we withdrew into our homes due to this pandemic on a scale rarely experienced by humankind, not only did we come to confront our own selves but also our relations with our environment and environmental issues that will perhaps bring about the end of the world. This introspection and confrontation gave rise to a new kind of ‘self’ in terms of our existence, and I believe it is now time to define this new ‘self’. No matter to what extent all these experiences have torn apart our sense of self, we are still seeking ways to cobble it into a meaningful whole and keep ourselves alive. We have brought together this exhibition wondering, among other things, how the anxiety provoked by the deep sense of uncertainty we are shrouded in will stir our imagination and what kind of insight we may provide into these hard-to-describe emotions we are experiencing at once with the rest of the world, through what we think we are most familiar with – our own bodies.”
Named after the 900-telegram series “I Am Still Alive” Japanese artist On Kawara started by sending to acquaintances in 1970, the exhibit examines the concept of “self-portrait” – one of art history’s most oft-interpreted themes by artists – emphasizing how “self-portrait today” has turned into something other than what it was for centuries, that is an artist looking into a mirror and reflecting his/her own face, expression or state of mind, rather becoming a novel genre open to new production practices and forms of expression. Presenting the works of Kerem Ağralı, Ali Alışır, İlgen Arzık, Sinan Demirtaş, Evren Erol, Tülay İçöz, Kazım Karakaya, Meliha Sözeri, and Gamze Taşdan, the exhibition titled “Hâlâ Hayattayım / I Am Still Alive” will be on display at the Bozlu Art Project Mongeri Building from October 27th 2020 to January 30th 2021.
Within Covid- 19 precautions;
- There will be no opening cocktail.
- It is necessary to wear mask and maintain the social distance determined by the Ministry of Health during visits.
- Up to 5 people can enter the building at the same time.
- The exhibition can be visited between 10.00 – 17.30.