The Youngest Members of CI BLOOM

KAIROS GALLERY- Ezgi Yıldız

As a young gallery participating in CI Bloom for the first time, which artists do you plan to feature and what kind of a theme are you working on?

We will take part in CI Bloom with a curatorial exhibition. Based on Virginia Woolf’s 1939 story of the same name, “The Searchlight” will spotlight 13 artists through a telescope that allows the simultaneous coexistence of the past and present.

Kairos is a recently opened gallery. Can you tell us more about your gallery and the artists you represent?

Contradicting conventional approaches to running a gallery, KAIROS focuses on the artist and the process of artistic output to better address the expectations of both the audience and the artist. We maintain very close relations with the eleven artists we represent. Dreaming and conceiving are things we do collectively. Bringing different disciplines together is a thrill. We currently represent Can Akgümüş, Can İncekara, Ecem Yüksel, Gurur Birsin, Gülnihal Yıldız, Kazım Şimşek, Metehan Törer, Murat Balcı, Sezer Arıcı, ŞANT and Ümmühan Yörük.

Do you have a unique exhibition format, a different approach and/or a novel use of new technology?

We recently organized the first event of the exclusive invitation series that last only one night. With the “Purgatory” exhibitions we aim to create a new platform for the audience where plastic arts are combined with music and performance. These surprise pop-up events take place sometime during our main exhibitions. I am pleased and excited to announce our “Four Works, Four Kors” series, which will bring together different disciplines in the next season.

DEN ART – Gülden Bostancı

Den Art is a young gallery that will take part in the second edition of CI Bloom for the first time. Which artists do you plan to work with at this event?

Den Art was founded less than two years ago as Antalya’s only contemporary art gallery. We organized a solo exhibition for CI Bloom with the artist duo Ertuğrul Güngör and Faruk Ertekin, who live and produce in Antalya. Having spent their childhood together in Kütahya, the two friends delve into the old memories of their hometown and the history of its ceramic material.

Digitalization, NFTs, artificial intelligence… As a young gallery owner, how do you feel about all these developments and their impact on art?

Digital art has invariably made important contributions to contemporary art for a long time. I think NFT and artificial intelligence-based creations are experimental productions for now. I doubt they will be lasting in their current format. That said, progress in these fields might change my opinion in the future.

GALERİ BOSFOR – Gökşen Buğra

As a young gallery participating in CI Bloom for the first time, which artists do you plan to feature and what kind of a theme are you working on?

Bosfor is a young gallery, but both the gallery team and the artists have many years of experience with Contemporary Istanbul. We are working with an installation consultant for our stand at Bloom. The artists represented by Bosfor complement each other in a wonderful harmony like the verses of a poem. Curating the stand is always a satisfying process where everything falls in place.

Innovation never stops in the art world. What is your method of keeping up with the times?

I follow the artists. I believe that innovation happens in an artist’s workshop. Their transformations and evolutions are a testament to time. This is not about following trends. I know the trends and I have methods of protecting myself from them.

What does Bosfor add to the conventional approach to running a gallery?

My main objective is to turn the gallery into a space for sharing, where visitors are embraced. I think one-to-one dialogue between the artists and the audience and the relationships they establish with other artists are also very important aspects. Bosfor can only contribute to the art scene and Istanbul if there is a dynamic platform for dialogue. We achieve this with the gallery’s open communication policy. We suggest a lifestyle rather than merely marketing a piece of art. We aim to create a world of pleasure shaped by art, not taste.

SİMBART PROJECTS-Aslı Hatipoğlu

As a young gallery participating in CI Bloom for the first time, which artists do you plan to feature and what kind of a theme are you working on?

Simbart will make its first appearance at CI Bloom with five artists that it represents. We will feature new or previously unseen work by our artists Medine Irak, Ezgi Yak, Sibel Kırık, Dilara Göl and Melis Erdem. We plan to showcase a curated selection in the fair area with a focus on the dialogue between the works in order to achieve unity with the stand area.

What are your criteria for choosing artists to work with at Simbart Projects?

Simbart was founded five years ago. Since then, we have put a lot of effort into the artist selection process. We are confident that all the artists we work with will gain fame in the future. Remaining artist-oriented is a priority at our gallery.

What are the three things that you would like to see more of in the Turkish art scene? It could be events, museums or communications…

To spread art to a wider audience, it is crucial to have young museum groups and young art initiatives that will continue to function within the framework of efficient programming. There are many examples abroad. It is equally important to have a greater number of suitable brand & artist collaborations and better solidarity among players in the creative sectors.