Mamut Art Project gives 55 young artists a chance to express themselves


ISTANBUL – If you are eager to find out, visit the Mamut Art Project (Mammoth Art Project) from April 3-6 at Istanbul's Küçükçiftlik Park to meet with up-and-coming artists pushing the boundaries in the contemporary art world. "The pressure is higher than ever," said Seren Kohen, the project's mastermind. "The reactions and reviews we received last year were amazing, much better than expected and now, people will be visiting the exhibition with much higher expectations. We worked so hard and put so much effort and we believe in ourselves and our artists," says Kohen. The visual arts gallery is rare due to its size and because it is one of the few events of its kind that takes place outside traditional galleries and exhibition spaces.From painting to photography, installation to street art, sculpture to illustration and land to kinetic arts, 55 artists from various fields will display their works in an area of approximately 10 square meters during the four-day event.When we asked about the change of venue from Antrepo No. 3 to Küçükçiftlik Park, Kohen noted that during the planning stages there was ambiguity about the availability of Antrepo No. 3 and Küçükçiftlik Park - a strong supporter of cultural events in Turkey - offered to host the event.The jury, including Ali Kazma, Emre Baykal, Emre Zeytinoğlu, Oya Delahaye and Saruhan Doğan, who all practice various forms of art themselves, have selected the participants and their works. In its second year, gallery owners, collectors and curators will attend a special screening of the young artists' works on a private viewing night when artists will have the opportunity to meet with the leading names from the art world and art lovers and collectors will have the chance to obtain original works at "affordable" prices. When asked what they mean by "affordable," the founding partner of Mamut Art Project, Serene Kohen said that art is an investment and added that it is difficult to determine the price of art. While noting that they want to support the careers of young artists, organizers also want to promote the message and idea that art works do not necessarily belong in the apartments of the so-called "upper class" or the elites. "We have set our heart on proving that works can be affordable and can be accessible to larger audiences. This is the kind of art scene we dream of and we want to create," says Kohen.She noted that one of the Mamut Art Projecttarget="_blank"'>