A new exhibition bringing art, art history, archaeology and anthropology together around the theme of Aşıklı Höyük opened in the historic Hüsrev Kethuda Hammam in Istanbul. "Lines of Site" will remain open until Feb. 25.
Aşıklı Höyük, located in the Gülağaç district of Aksaray province, is the oldest known village in central Anatolia. The prehistoric mound, which dates back 10,500 years, is an excavation site where almost every stage of the transition from the hunter-gatherer period to the settled agricultural system can be traced. A first in the history of medicine was realized here when the first brain surgery in the world was performed on a young woman. Moreover, sheep and goats were also domesticated here for the first time.
While the entire history of Aşıklı Höyük, where excavations have been continuing for 32 years, is still waiting to be discovered, the Friends of Aşıklı Höyük Association works to share with the art world what is known while working to support the excavations, increase the recognition of the site and ensure that the cultural heritage is embraced and protected by the people.
As part of the association's "Art and Archaeology Project," which is planned in collaboration with the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and the University of Dundee and supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, "Lines of Site" brings together works by 13 artists in different disciplines from Turkey, England, Spain, the United States and Colombia.
Within the scope of the exhibition, life in Aşıklı Höyük is presented in a way that conveys important developments in human history. The works in the exhibition, curated by Fırat Arapoğlu and Gary Sangster, bear the traces of the artists' experiences at the Aşıklı Höyük excavation site. Among the artists whose works are included in the exhibition are Özgül Arslan, Eva Bosch, Şahin Domin, Ahmet Rüstem Ekici, Leyla Emadi, Stephen Farthing, Murat Germen, Osman Nuri Iyem, Blanca Moreno, Dillwyn Smith, Hakan Sorar, Anita Taylor and Emre Zeytinoğlu. "Lines of Site" will also meet with the audience in Barcelona, Spain and Dundee, Scotland, respectively after its display in Istanbul.
Curator Arapoğlu summarizes the show: "The exhibition was shaped by the ongoing relations of 13 artists from five countries with the Aşıklı Höyük excavation. The works emerged as a result of the artists' intellectual and artistic inquiries on the history of Aşıklı Höyük. This exhibition, which brings together works produced in different disciplines, is the result of two years of work. It includes the international perspectives of artists, their use of different media and light, and their own unique research interests. In this way, the excavations are documented through art, and the findings reappear with different themes."
Curator Sangster also said, "I believe that the exhibition will provide the audience with a different experience where they will discover the history of this oldest settlement in Central Anatolia together."
