Vanilla, Grass, Almond

Vanilla, Grass, Almond brings together 24 artists who go back to the publications they previously produced, intervening in them through contemporary gestures and transforming the book-object into a living form. The exhibition positions books not as fixed and completed objects, but as spaces for reflection, reinterpretation, and material transformation.

The exhibition takes its title from the notes of vanilla, grass, and almond that emerge over time through the chemical decomposition of paper, ink, and binding materials in aging books. Referencing the concept of bibliosmia, derived from the Greek words biblion (book) and osme (smell), the exhibition approaches these scents not merely as physical phenomena, but as sensory reflections of the relationships artists establish with their pasts, their geographies, and their memories.

Each publication in the exhibition includes new interventions by its artist. These interventions take various forms, such as the addition of notes and collages, the use of organic or inorganic materials, or the transformation of the book into sculptural or sound-based forms. Through these gestures, the book shifts from a finished object into an open field of production that continues to evolve over time.

Bringing together artists from various countries, the exhibition renders visible the ways artists return to their own publications over time and transform them through new perspectives. The project also proposes thinking about the artist book as a space where personal memory, material experimentation, and narrative possibilities intersect.

Brought together by: Huo Rf. Spatial design: Zeynep Tümertekin, Graphic design: E S Kibele Yarman.

Vanilla, Grass, Almond, April 6–June 28, 2026, Kendi Collection, Istanbul.

Participating artists: Ahmet Civelek, Antonia Breme, Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Berkay Tuncay, Ecem Yüksel, Elif Kahveci, Emirkan Cörüt, Furkan Öztekin, Gülşah Mursaloğlu, Joseph Imhauser, Kadir Çıtak, E S Kibele Yarman, Lara Ögel, Metehan Özcan, Neslihan Başer, Rahel Zoller, Rhonda Khalifeh, Sena Başöz, Sevil Tunaboylu, Sevim Sancaktar, Thukral & Tagra, Ufuk Barış Mutlu, Vardal Caniş, Yasemin Özcan.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a public programme unpacking the concept of artist books, which can be followed on the exhibition’s Instagram profile and website.

The exhibition is supported by Zeynep & Can Kendi, Marriott Executive Apartments Istanbul Fulya, Sanatorium, Zilberman, border_less, and Parkim Fragrance House.