Questioning Art And Education At Istanbul Modern

- Istanbul Modern is hosting a conversation series focusing on artist Mehmet Güleryüz’s large-scale quest for expression as well as a film program as part of its continuing retrospective, “Painter and Painting.”

Following the first event in March, a second event in the series of conversations held within the “Painter and Painting” retrospective will focus on Güleryüz as an educator on April 30.

In the conversation, Güleryüz, who has embraced an interdisciplinary and experimental approach in art education as well, will question the painter’s identity as an educator and discuss the intellectual and physical common denominators between the act of painting and the transmission of an experience with art critic and academic Ahu Antmen and artist Ahmet Doğu İpek.

Besides his own studio, Güleryüz has also taught in many well-established institutions. Through concrete examples, he will be in conversation with guests on alternative art education and the evolution of art education in Turkey from the time when he was a student at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts to the Bilsak Workshop where he taught between 1985 and 2000.

During a book signing by Güleryüz on May 14, the artist will meet with art lovers to talk about the catalogue of “Painter and Painting,” which sheds light on his arts, as well as the new editions of his books “Güldüğüme Bakma” (Don’t Be Fooled by My Smile) and “Resmigeçit” (Parade), printed by İşbank Cultural Publications.

Beginning with a conversation with the artist, the event will be held in the biography area at the entrance of the exhibition and will continue with the signing of the books.

The conversation series will end on May 28 with a talk that focuses on the relationship between the visual arts and theater, which forms one of the bases of the artist’s interdisciplinary approach.

Güleryüz, Müge Gürman, Seçkin Selvi and Üstün Akmen will all interrogate the transformations that have taken place in the field of theater, both in Turkey and the international scene, since the days of the Arena Theater Company where he began his carrier as an actor in the 1960s. Based on the similarities and differences between theater and painting, the conversation will also discuss the relationship between acting and other disciplines.

Film Program

Istanbul Modern Cinema will also present a film program in conjunction with the exhibition between April 23 and May 3. The films in the program explore the relationship between painter and painting; look at the inner worlds and private lives of painters who have left their mark on history; and linger on the diverse elements of painting, from its artistic references to sales practices.

The films reflect the passions and fears of painters as well as their era’s relationship with art. Among films that stand out in the selection are Mike Leigh’s “Mr. Turner,” which shows a slice from the life of one of the pioneers of Impressionism, J.M.W. Turner; “Big Eyes,” about the power struggle in the marriage of American painter Margaret Keane, known for painting children with distinctive big eyes in the 1950s; and “The Painting” (Le Tableau), a French animated film that takes place inside the world of an unfinished canvas.

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