Taking inspiration from the Anatolian legend of "Shahmaran," a mythological character who is part woman and part snake, 34 artists have each created a sculpture to be installed at 34 different points across Istanbul as part of a new exhibition.
The sculptures will be on show for three months and will be put up for auction at the end of the exhibition, with the proceeds going towards scholarships for girls.
The "Şahmeran 34" exhibition was introduced with an event held at the Haliç Shipyard in Beyoğlu. The artists' works will be exhibited at iconic points of the city, including Mecidiyeköy, Taksim Square and Bağdat Street.
Marcus Graf curated the exhibition organized in cooperation with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) and Art Publik. Sculptor Ayla Turan created the contemporary interpretation of Shahmaran which each of the artists then interpreted and presented in their own unique way, combining the modern with the traditional.
Once the exhibition is complete, the auction will take place in September to benefit the Istanbul Foundation's "Grow Your Dreams" project. A portion of the earnings will be used to fund scholarships for girls.
On the legend of Shahmaran, Graf said it is a myth, "a story written thousands of years ago that belongs to this land," however, his two children do not even know the stories.
"Although it is an old myth, it is a very current issue because it emphasizes the important concepts throughout the story, such as believing, trusting, betrayal, and believing again. In this context, we are carrying the story to the streets. While some of the people are familiar, others see it for the first time," he added.
"Here you will see the works of 34 contemporary artists. They studied these works on the sculpture created by Ayla Turan. In this project, she describes the richness and diversity of contemporary art. On the one hand, more traditional approaches to drawing, and painting. At the same time, art forms such as street art, neon, and conceptual approaches have a critical nature. We strive to reflect this diversity," said Graf.
So, when exploring Istanbul over the next three months, don't be surprised if you stumble across a Shahmaran statue in different corners of the city!
Although there are many versions of the story, they all revolve around the same main idea. Rumor has it that the legend took place in Tarsus, south-central Turkey. The snakes living in this region are called "maran" and were known to be quite intelligent and compassionate. The queen of these snakes is known as Shahmaran.
According to the legend, a person named Cemshab was the first person to ever see the queen of snakes. The son of a poor family, Cemshab entered a cave one day to extract honey and was left there by his friends. During his stay in the cave, he sees light leaking from a hole in the wall. When he widens this hole with his knife, he sees a paradise-like lush garden, with a pool and many snakes around it.
After living there for years, Cemshab gains the trust of Shahmaran. Yearning for his family, Chemshab begs to see them, which Shahmaran agrees to on the condition that he promises not to tell anyone about the garden. He keeps his promise to Shahmaran for many years.
One day, the sultan of the country fell ill. The vizier said the remedy for the illness was to eat Shahmaran's flesh, and the news was spread everywhere. Cemshab revealed the location of the cave and Shahmaran was found and taken out. Shahmaran told Cemshab: “Blanch me in an earthen dish, give my extract to the vizier, and feed my flesh to the sultan.” Upon doing this, the vizier died and the sultan recovered and made Cemshab his vizier.
In Tarsus and southeastern Mardin province where versions of the legend took place, Shahmaran paintings adorn the walls of houses.
