WInding up my last few days in Istanbul: Spent time with old friends at Galeri Apel. Nuran Terzioglu, who is the owner and founder of Apel Gallery, has represented or exhibited some of Turkey's most prominent contemporary artists. Selma Gurbuz, currently at Istanbul Modern, is on the Apel Gallery roster, among many other established and emerging artists. Mehmet Aksoy, arguably the greatest living sculptor in Turkey, exhibited at Urart Gallery with Nuran 20 years ago when he first returned home from time spent in Germany. Among his many public works is a monument to the "Unknown Deserter" from Hitler's army.
The current group exhibit at Apel is "Kultur Fizik" with a broad range of work connected to physical culture. Y. Bahadir Yildiz was represented by paintings and drawings with social and political overtones.
I liked a Muruvvet Turkyilmaz photograph entitled "Rythmic Movements" of a young girl on a balcony in her school uniform having her hair braided.
Suzy Hug Levy's sculpture "Skyscraper" is composed of skeets.
Nuran then took us on a brief tour of the Gallery's new space downstairs which currently hosts Yucel Kale's sculpture in glass and wood.
Nuran's desks in both galleries are themselves found sculptures: they are old carpenter's benches salvaged from a local woodworking shop.
The night closes with dinner at a favorite spot
...and of course a bit of palm reading over the appetizers.
