Now at SALT
Modern Essays 4: SALON
SALT Galata (Until June 17, 2012)
SALT’s Modern Essays series investigates different aspects of modernism, the effects of Westernization, and the notion of progress in cultural practices. Examining visual and spatial production in Turkey, Modern Essays explores ideals of modernization in relation to constructed environments, design, and the comparative material reality of different eras. SALON, the fourth exhibition from the series, displays a three-dimensional moment/section of diligence and simplicity, which represents Ankara of the 1960s, a period overlooked compared to the early years of the Republic of Turkey. Drawing from the architecture and design archives at SALT, the exhibition reveals an intersection of disciplines by following the progression of time and experiences through photo albums and interviews.
The main display is a set of original furniture from Butik-A, a design studio which opened in 1958 and served as an exceptional attempt to provide and produce designs that are far from the mainstream. The displayed set of furniture is not an arbitrary selection but the relocation of a real living room. Borrowed from the apartment of composer Ulvi Cemal Erkin and pianist Ferhunde Erkin, this group of Butik-A items point to a placid sensitivity in furniture design and production of the time. Referring to the spatial environment from which these objects were taken, the plan of the Erkin apartment designed by architects Rahmi Bediz and Demirtaş Kamçıl, whose practices haven’t been well researched and documented as of yet, is drawn on the floor of SALON.
Translated By
SALT Galata (Until July 8, 2012)
İstanbul Eindhoven-SALTVanAbbe: 68-89
SALT Beyoğlu (Until August 26, 2012)
Upcoming
Modern Essays 5: Graft
SALT Galata (May 25–August 26, 2012)
In Deed: Certificates of Authenticity in Art
SALT Beyoğlu (May 31–August 26, 2012)
