Türkiye's Iş Bank Museum of Painting and Sculpture presents the inaugural temporary exhibition “Istanbul’s Picture.” The exhibit brings together Istanbul-themed paintings from the bank's collection, showcasing both the Anatolian and European sides on two separate floors and providing an artist's perspective on Istanbul.
Gül Irepoğlu, the founding curator of the Türkiye Iş Bank Museum of Painting and Sculpture, described the exhibition's route through the city: "Accompanied by artworks, you will journey through Istanbul step by step in this exhibition, starting from the historical peninsula, crossing the Galata Bridge, gazing at the Golden Horn and then turning toward the Bosporus. Progressing up the Bosporus coastline with paintings, you seemingly cross aboard an imaginary ferry to the Anatolian side. Your journey continues opposite the Bosporus, leading you to Üsküdar, Maiden's Tower and Haydarpaşa. This journey culminates in the islands, occasionally viewing neighborhoods from hillsides or descending to the shores, experiencing impressions reflected on the canvas."
Mostly from the mid-20th century, these artworks serve as visual documents of Istanbul, presenting the city's unique layers such as its flowers, boats, streets and seasons.
Preparing a publication for the exhibition that includes nearly 300 Istanbul landscapes, Irepoğlu emphasizes the enchanted geography and city that unite two seas and separate two continents, possessing a deep soul and history. "In the paintings, two predominant emotions stand out: first, the love and passion artists hold for the city... Secondly, the desire to capture and depict Istanbul's light. In the book, I've attempted to portray Istanbul not only through paintings but also through photographs, films, and poetry. I've included excerpts from travelers. These landscapes also serve as significant visual records for Istanbul; therefore, Istanbul paintings are highly valuable in this regard," she explained.
Aiming to convey this spirit captured by artists on canvases to readers, Irepoğlu makes it enduring through the exhibition book. Along your exhibition journey, you're accompanied not only by the paintings that successfully capture the unique light of this city but also by verses from poets.
Iş Sanat also shares the stories behind the artworks in the museum with art enthusiasts through a new video series titled "Residents of No. 144": from İbrahim Çallı's "Woman Smelling Roses" to Halil Paşa's "Fishing Boats," and Sami Yetik's "Peonies and Lilacs in a Vase" to Feyhaman Duran's "Girl in Blue Trousers." You can explore many works from the museum's permanent and temporary exhibitions on Iş Sanat's YouTube channel.
