Summer Stillness and Art in the Margins
By mid-June, the city starts to exhale in heatwaves. Istanbul’s pace feels slightly suspended—buses a bit emptier, ferries slower, people sitting longer at cafés. But that just made this week’s discoveries feel more precious. I followed side streets, found art where I didn’t expect it, and ended most days with cold tea or sea air.
“A Day’s Story, A Lifetime’s Truth” – Bayram Demir & İlker Kayalı at Galeri 77
May 22 – June 28, 2025
Some exhibitions speak in whispers—and A Day’s Story, A Lifetime’s Truth at Galeri 77 was one of those shows that stayed with me long after I left. This joint exhibition by Bayram Demir and İlker Kayalı was quiet, introspective, and surprisingly moving. The works don’t shout for attention; they unfold slowly, each one offering a window into something deeply felt but not easily explained.
Demir’s canvases are dense with symbols—layers of memory and mythology, tangled like old stories told in low voices. There’s something ancient and yet strangely current in the way he paints. Kayalı’s works, in contrast, feel like interior landscapes. His muted palettes and sparse compositions let silence do the talking. You don’t just look at the works—you listen to them, almost unconsciously.
Together, the two artists created a mood that was both meditative and emotionally charged. I found myself walking more slowly, not wanting to miss anything small. This wasn’t a show about grand declarations—it was about the tiny, persistent truths that live in us across time.
Galeri 77 is located at Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mahallesi, Havyar Han Sokak No:21, Karaköy, Istanbul.
Address: Krank Art Gallery, Boğazkesen Cd. No:33/A, Tomtom, Beyoğlu
“Summer Edition IV” at EArt
June 17 – August 31, 2025
Visiting EArt in Kağıthane isn’t something I do on impulse—it’s not exactly on my usual path—but Summer Edition IV was worth the effort. The gallery’s latest group show explores the use of negative space in contemporary three-dimensional practices, and I was immediately struck by how open and breathable the whole exhibition felt. Not empty—just spacious in a way that made me more aware of how I moved through it.
The works by A. Elif Aydoğmuş, Bahadır Yıldız, Defne Parman, Ebru Zarakolu, Ezgi Bahadır, Gizem Ünlü, Hazer Çoşgun Kırkpınar, Maze Sürer, Pınar Yılmaz, and Songül Girgin each had their own language, yet something about the curation created a quiet dialogue between them. There were light materials and heavy ones, polished surfaces and raw textures, but all seemed to be in conversation with the “in-between”—the voids, the edges, the invisible architecture of space.
I didn’t try to read too much into individual pieces. Instead, I just walked, paused, and let the balance of presence and absence do its work. It reminded me how three-dimensional art isn’t just about form—it’s about where the form isn’t. If you’re in the mood for something that doesn’t scream for attention but stays with you long after, this show has that kind of staying power.
EArt is located at Çağlayan Mahallesi, Naci Kasım Sokak No:3, Kağıthane, Istanbul.
Sunset from Salacak
One of my favorite walks is along the Üsküdar coast at Salacak. This week I went just before sundown and joined the small crowd gathered by the sea wall. Everyone was quiet, waiting. The sun dropped behind the domes of the Old City and lit up the Marmara like fire. Some people clapped. It was beautiful and completely unremarkable at the same time—a moment shared by strangers who didn’t need to say a word.
Address: Salacak Sahil Yolu, Üsküdar
There’s something about Istanbul in the heat—slower but not sleepy, quieter but not silent. This week reminded me that art doesn’t have to shout to move you, and a good sunset can still feel like a revelation.
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