A sky-bound dream of peace takes form in art: Dilek Yalçın’s “I Declare Peace" ("Barışı Ilan Ediyorum”) begins its New York chapter. The exhibition will be on view from April 30 to May 10, 2025, at the Turkish House (Türkevi) with the support of the Turkish Consulate General in New York and sponsorship by Turkish Airlines.
“I Declare Peace” is not merely an exhibition. It is an aesthetic manifesto for the future, a heartfelt collective intention expressed through art. Seeing art not only as an aesthetic pursuit but also as a form of soft power, Turkish artist Dilek Yalçın uses her fourth solo exhibition to call for global peace in the face of ongoing wars and crises worldwide.
The exhibition features 40 acrylic paintings on linen canvas, one video art piece, and two installations. Each artwork, marked by triangular compositions and symbolic use of color, abstractly represents a different country, inviting viewers into a visual language of the sky and peace. Despite today’s global conflicts, the exhibition stands as a resilient statement of hope.
The exhibition also features a cinematic trailer and a video art piece that combines the artist’s imagination with the possibilities of artificial intelligence. Inspired by the myth of the Phoenix, the video features 30 different birds in a mystical visual meditation on peace.
Dilek Yalçın is a prolific and multidisciplinary artist with a background in International Relations in Türkiye and Painting in London. Known for her conceptual approach, she intertwines political and aesthetic dimensions in her installations. Through the “I Declare Peace” series, she transforms her artistic expression into a diplomatic, social and humanitarian tool.
