1) Erdem Varol (Turkish, b. 1988), Untitled works, 2015 – ongoing, 35-mm and digital photographic prints on baryta and adhesive vinyl, courtesy of the artist. 2) Merve Unsal (Turkish, b. 1984, the Hague, Netherlands), One Work, 2014, neon, courtesy of the artist. 3) Didem Erbas (Turkish, b. 1985), Architectural Remains II, 2020, oil on canvas, courtesy of the artist.
The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce its current exhibition, Fractured Modernities: Contemporary Art from Turkey. This exhibition includes works by Didem Erbas, Merve Unsal, Erdem Varol, and Zeynep Kayan.
Curator Mehves Lelic states, “The exhibition aims to take a closer look at the thoughtful and nuanced works that are being made by young contemporary artists from Turkey today. These artists are all responding to the present climate in Turkey through their respective and unique visual languages. It has been a privilege to include their work in this exhibition, which cumulatively presents a take on what modernity might look like in a country with a complex cultural and sociopolitical history.”
This exhibition explores the present moment in Turkey’s cultural history through the work of artists Didem Erbas, Merve Unsal, Erdem Varol, and Zeynep Kayan. The unique crossroads between empire and republic, heritage and modernity, and containment and globalization have forged complex webs in the fabric of the Turkish society that are present in each artist’s work, as the nation grapples with its identity and the social and cultural forces that make it so pluralistic. A dominant thread that brings the artists’ work together is a connection to this multicultural past, its manifestations in the present, and a critique of Turkey’s simplistic reputation as a bridge between the East and the West.
The influence of persistent political and economic upheaval is present in the way each artist explores the relationship between the built and natural landscapes and the people who live in them. From Erdem Varol’s grainy, high-contrast photographs taken from anywhere between a plane in high altitude to under a parked car, to Didem Erbas’ rich, fluid oil paintings documenting the exploitation of the country’s natural resources, the works in the exhibition marry movement and color with the heaviness of the nation’s past, especially in the wake of a catastrophic earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria.
Didem Erbas (Turkish, b. 1985), Aerial War Zone II, 2020, ink on paper, courtesy of the artist
Zeynep Kayan (Turkish, b. 1985), still from Mirror III, 2018, single-channel video, courtesy of the artist and Zilberman Gallery
Erdem Varol (Turkish, b. 1988), Untitled works, 2015 – ongoing, 35-mm and digital photographic prints on baryta and adhesive vinyl, courtesy of the artist
About the Academy Art Museum
As the premier art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a Fall Craft Show celebrating 25 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.
Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday-Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free
Currently on view at the Academy Art Museum: Mary Cassatt: Labor and Leisure, Labor and Leisure in the Permanent Collection, Earth Abides: Selections from the Permanent Collection, and Hoesy Corona: Terrestrial Caravan.
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