Artist Kenan Işık's works, which consist of the intersection of views of Istanbul and Rome, have started being exhibited at Istanbul's Kalyon Kültür's Taş Konak under the name "Beyond Time: Istanbul-Rome." The exhibition, featuring 42 pieces, will be open for visit until Oct. 13.
The paintings by Işık, envisioning the intersection of views of Istanbul and Rome, are now on display. Among the attendees at the opening of the exhibition were Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, his wife Gülden Gül, former Minister of Treasury and Finance Lütfi Elvan, Cemal Kalyoncu, chairperson of the board of directors of Kalyon Holding, Reyhan Kalyoncu, chair of the Kalyon Holding Social and Cultural Affairs Committee and Şişli District Governor Ahmet Gazi Kaya.
Aslı Bora, the director of Kalyon Kültür, who curated the exhibition, emphasized that the works in the exhibition are directed toward the contemporary and historical texture of Istanbul.
"The works are formed from the intersection of mental landscapes that Kenan combines from his own mind with real landscapes. It's a casting for the common DNA of two cities. Istanbul is an important city for all of us, of course. It's a city that hosted three empires. Therefore, it has a special place in all of our hearts. But we wanted to create awareness as Kalyon Kültür. What have we lost from our urban fabric? What can we pass on to future generations? In fact, with Kenan Işık's exhibition, we are trying to show exactly that," she explained.
Speaking about his journey toward art and preparing for the exhibition, the artist Kenan Işık said: "Inside, you will see a richness of materials. You will see 150-year-old frames, cartwheels and many other things. You will see a combination of concrete, soil and clay. You will see oil paint, acrylic paint, tar and walls. My greatest wealth as an artist is my material knowledge. I'm still learning, still evolving. I'm not in search of anything. I've never been. I'm just concerned with how I can present better. Together with my curator, we combined a story, history and art. I found the greatest deficiency in art in the world."
Cemal Kalyoncu of Kalyon Holding expressed that the Kalyon family has been serving as a responsible family for the values of Turkish society for 80 years.
"The main purpose of the Kalyon Foundation is gratitude to the past and value to the future. It is to continue its revival efforts with the principles of goodness in the field. We are having exhibitions and discussions on history and literature. Various art education works on hosting stray animals. Sustainability, the environment and many social activities are shown under the presidency of Reyhan Kalyoncu. Today, we are opening the 'Istanbul-Rome' exhibition prepared by Kenan Işık. We are also planning to open this exhibition in Rome. We will shed light on the historical ties of the two cities again," he outlined.
Governor Davut Gül stated: "For the development of culture and art, capital accumulation is necessary. The fundamental difference between richness and wealth is this: You may have a lot of money, title deeds and a car. There may be various indicators like these. This means you are wealthy. When you share these with someone, when you share them with society, then you become rich. Therefore, Kalyon Holding's support for art, culture and social responsibility projects, coming from the values of this nation, is beyond all praise."
