„A man is always a teller of tales, he lives surrounded by his stories and the stories of others, he sees everything that happens to him through them; and he tries to live his own life as if he were telling a story.“
Jean-Paul Sartre¹
The creative process is like a parallel universe for the manifestation of the artist’s unique stories. History and art have always interested artists, both reflected in work through their subjective point of view. Examining art history allows for a universal understanding of human nature. Ultimately, stories are meant to be shared.²
„Imitating History…" is an exhibition that gathers works which reference art history as well as the artists’ personal mythologies.
Artists have always been influenced by history, and this legacy continues from one era to another. Most artists examine history with the intent of adapting it into their stories. The idea of personalizing the history makes it more accessible and understandable.
It is impossible for artists to ignore the patterns in history; artists use this history as a way to take on creative personas. At times, this attitude allows nuanced humor to enter serious and difficult historical subjects. These pastiches create a new understanding that we can analyze, sometimes harmonizing with an artists’ intent, and other times creating greater ambiguity.
„Imitating History…" can be visited in C.A.M. Gallery / Çukurcuma from May 17th to June 23th.
Artists
Katerina Belkina
Bedri Baykam
İsmet Doğan
Joanna Wezyk
Nihal Martlı
Özlem Şimşek