Letter from Istanbul: Where Are You Understood?
Dear Reader,
I am sitting at a newly discovered cafe, cafe “Antre,” right in the heart of Taksim. The sounds of Istanbul hum around me. Whether it is the Simit seller (an amazing baked Turkish street snack!) calling out from the street below, the distant clatter of the old-fashioned tram rolling past İstiklal, or the murmur of friends catching up over tea, everything feels alive with rhythm and memory.
It’s hard to believe that it was just last month that I was standing in the heart of Anna Laudel Gallery, surrounded by uncountable works from different artists. As a proud modern and contemporary art student who thought she knew the artists of this era, I need to admit rather in a shy manner, that, at the first couple of days of my internship there, all I did was read biographies of artists.
However, reading the biographies quickly immersed me in their worlds. I wrote about them, and eventually helped shape how others would encounter them in the gallery space. One day, I was editing artist texts; the next, I was placing wall labels, checking lighting, or joining meetings about exhibition flow.
What I had been dreaming of since I started my studies in art history three years ago was finally happening: I was curating. For the past three years, I was the person behind the computer writing the exhibition reviews, and looking at where I am standing now, reading the reviews instead of writing them, all I can say is: it's surreal. The shift from observer to participant has been nothing short of transformative.
Now – my gratitude and the ecstatic sense of being aside - it is only appropriate for me to tell you a bit about the exhibitions we created together as a team. Two floors, two distinct voices, yet both exhibitions speak to the pulse of our time. As you enter the gallery right in the heart of Beyoğlu,an iconic district where the soul of the young creatives meets the hustle and bustle of Istanbul.
The two group exhibitions titled “Once the Pavement Ends” and “Where You Are Understood” bring together works by twelve international artists, using various techniques and approaches.
“Once the Pavement Ends” draws inspiration from different corners of the street.Every element captured in the works, from manhole covers to mosaics, cobblestones to market stalls, bears a trace of Istanbul, presenting an archive shaped by the city’s flow. Briefly put, dear reader,what you encounter is not mere street art, but it is a representation of street life — layered, lived-in, and deeply personal.
Inspired by the anonymous phrase “a person blooms where they are understood,” the second exhibition, “Where You Are Understood,” creates a safe space to contemplate the theme of blooming. Each work on display carries traces of invisible potential, and of evolution unfolding over time. The works are inspired by the belief that true blossoming occurs when one taps into their inner strength.
As I step out of the gallery and back into the winding streets of Beyoğlu, I carry with me more than just memories of an internship. Istanbul, in all its chaos and beauty, has taught me that art is not only something we study or admire from afar, but something we build with our own hands, piece by piece, alongside others who believe in its power.
Thank you for walking through this chapter with me. I hope, wherever you are reading this from, you, too, find a place where you are understood.
From Beyoğlu, with love
Melis
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