Istanbul’s prominent Pera Museum has been displaying a traveling exhibition by Independent Curators International (ICI) in company with its two recent shows on Byzantine prepared in collaboration with Istanbul Research Institute. "Notes for Tomorrow," which is prepared by the collaboration of 30 curators from 25 countries, invites art enthusiasts to question contemporary cultural values in the current crisis environment.

The journey of "Notes for Tomorrow" was brought to life by ICI with inspiration from a series of texts titled "Reports from the Field," which were created by ICI collaborators and published on the organization’s website during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The show began its world tour at the beginning of 2021 and was opened at Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery and Haverford College in the U.S., Contemporary Calgary in Canada and Sifang Art Museum in China, respectively. Bringing together the works of 29 artists from all over the world, "Notes for Tomorrow" now welcomes visitors in Istanbul.

Today’s artistic reflection

While visitors have a chance to learn Byzantine studies in Istanbul and the representation of Byzantium and Byzantines in popular culture, they also witness various artworks reflecting on a new global reality ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic on different floors of Pera Museum. "Notes for Tomorrow" deals with the role of art in the construction of the collective memory in a global age. Many of the works in the exhibition examine ways of making sense of the world in times when suspicion and insecurity have increased. In this period of cultural transition, each work offers a source of inspiration from the recent past and a perspective that shapes the future. When the works that focus on the concepts of isolation, home life and care during the pandemic period and the works that do not directly refer to the pandemic are examined together, they constitute the reflection of today as a whole.

Among the participating artists of the show are Madiha Aijaz, Ernesto Bautista, Maeve Brennan, Vajiko Chachkhiani, Nothando Chiwanga, Shezad Dawood, Demian DineYazhi', Cao Guimaraes, Ilana Harris-Babou, Rei Hayama, Amrita Hepi, INVASORIX, Tamas Kaszas, Ali Kazma, A Liberated Library for Education, Inspiration, and Action, David Lozano, Mona Marzouk, Joiri Minaya, Peter Morin, Daniela Ortiz, Kristina Kay Robinson, Luiz Roque, Mark Salvatus, Ibrahima Thiam, u/n multitude, Wayne Kaumualii Westlake and Yan Shi. The curators include Charles Campbell, Freya Chou, Giulia Colletti, Veronica Cordeiro, Allison Glenn, Tessa Maria Guazon, PJ Gubatina Policarpio, Ivan Isaev, Ross Jordan, Drew Kahuʻaina Broderick ve Josh Tengan, Esteban King alvarez, Joao Laia, Luis Carlos Manjarres Martinez, Fadzai Veronica Muchemwa, Lydia Y. Nichols, Marie Helene Pereira, Balimunsi Philip, Josseline Pinto, Florencia Portocarrero, Shahana Rajani, Rachel Reese, Marina Reyes Franco, Mari Spirito, Alexandra Stock, Eszter Szak.cs, Abhijan Toto, Fatoş Üstek, Su Wei and Sharmila Wood.

Collective thinking

ICI Exhibitions Manager Becky Nahom stated that in this exhibition, they brought art lovers together with works that they believe should be seen today. According to him this show, built on mutual trust, is also a call for readers, visitors and observers to communicate with the works.

Drawing attention to the method they have chosen for the exhibition, Nahom said, "The stories we received showed the effects of the pandemic, as well as the changes in art organizations and how they adapted to the new situation. While social media and digital platforms took steps to reach the audience, people who could not come together indoors began creating projects on balconies and windows and all these developments brought art from art centers to homes. Therefore, being aware that we cannot represent a single voice at such a time, we aimed to develop an exhibition through collective thinking and determined the necessary parameters."

"Notes for Tomorrow" was initiated by Frances Wu Giarratano, Becky Nahom, Renaud Proch and Monica Terrero and was made possible with the support of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, VIA Art Fund, and ICI’s Board of Trustees and International Forum. The show will remain open at Pera Museum until March 6.