At the 553rd Art Meeting, we are visiting the studio of artist Eda Soylu.

Eda Soylu was born in Istanbul in 1990. She graduated from Üsküdar American High School and spent a year of her high school education in Michigan through an exchange program. She attended Rhode Island School of Design (RISD'13), and in 2012, she was selected to participate in the school's European Honors Program, studying in Rome for six months. Her first solo exhibition, "Unforgettable, How Strange!", took place in Istanbul in 2014 with Berlin Art Projects. In 2015, she began street installations in Balat, simultaneously participating in group exhibitions in Berlin. In 2016, her second solo exhibition, "Rebuilding the Home," took place at Galeri Khas within Kadir Has University. Her third solo exhibition, "What Remains from My Grandmother's House," was held at Mixer in 2018. In 2019, she met the audience with her fourth solo exhibition, "Wounded Moments," at Barın Han as part of the Atonal 9 Solo exhibition. In 2021, she opened her fifth solo exhibition, "Play Blocks for Adults," at Ferda Art Platform. In 2025, she realized the exhibition "In the Belly of the Fish," which brought together poetry and art, at Barın Han together with Hatice Utkan. Focusing on her artistic expression through painting since 2020, Soylu continues her work and life in Istanbul.

Wednesday, April 22

12:00-13:00

Address: Moda Caddesi Hüseyinbey Sokak Kromer Apartmanı No:9/1 Kadıköy

We are visiting CI Bloom at our 552nd Art Gathering.

We continue to follow art on location on the 11th anniversary of the Art for Goodness Association. CI Bloom art fair, which has secured a firm place in Istanbul's spring calendar, will begin its fifth edition with a preview day on April 15, 2026. Bringing together galleries from different cities of Turkey, the fair offers a strong discovery space for collectors, art professionals, and art lovers. Distinguished by its selections highlighting new production practices, interdisciplinary approaches, and young artists, CI Bloom is more than just a fair; it's a dynamic platform that brings together the local and international art world. This year, participating galleries include Anna Laudel (Istanbul, Düsseldorf), Art On Istanbul (Istanbul), Belm’art Space (Ankara), Bozlu Art (Istanbul), and C.A.M. In addition to established galleries such as Gallery (Istanbul), DG Art Gallery & Project (Istanbul, Bodrum), DİFOART Collective (Istanbul), Galeri 77 (Istanbul), Martch Art Project (Istanbul), Muse Contemporary (Istanbul), One Arc Gallery (Istanbul), Pi Artworks (Istanbul, London), Piramid Sanat (Istanbul), Rıdvan Kuday (Diyarbakır), Ruzy Gallery (Istanbul), Summart (Istanbul), Taksim Sanat (Istanbul), Vision Art Platform (Istanbul), x-ist (Istanbul) and ZILBERMAN (Istanbul, Berlin), the fair also features galleries participating for the first time, including EArt, rast. GALLERY, Kun Art Space, Collect Gallery, FAAR Gallery and offgrid art project / Otmar Uras. Furthermore, considering the current economic conditions, the participation fees for the galleries have been kept 30% below the 2025 prices, and the exchange rate has been fixed in Turkish Lira, creating a concrete example of solidarity in the name of sustainability in the art market.

https://www.oggusto.com/sanat/contemporary-istanbul-ci-bloom

This special tour, organized in collaboration with Be İnanna and guided by Dr. Feride Çelik, has a capacity of 8 people. The participation fee (including ticket) is 5,600 TL. We kindly request that the first 8 members who wish to join us send their payment to the following account:

Account details:

Account name: BE INANNA EDUCATION CONSULTING TOURISM AND HOTEL MANAGEMENT LTD.

IBAN: TR340013400002405564100001

Wednesday, April 15th

12:00-13:00

Address: Lütfü Kırdar International Congress and Exhibition Center, Harbiye, Şişli

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1v5GR4ua34PuW175A?g_st=ic

At our 551st Art Gathering, we are visiting the studio of sculptor Malik Bulut.

Born in Silifke in 1974, the artist graduated from the Sculpture Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Mersin University in 2000, and then worked as an assistant to master sculptor Mehmet Aksoy between 2000 and 2004. Since 2004, Malik Bulut has continued his work in his independent studio in Istanbul, particularly preferring marble in his works, focusing on capturing the movement of the stone and its relationship with light.

Throughout his career, the artist has participated in 23 international sculpture symposiums, exhibited at important international art fairs such as Istanbul Contemporary, New York Sofa, Chicago Sofa, Verona Stone, and Baku, and held over 18 solo exhibitions. His works are in museum, state, university, and private collections in Turkey and the United States, and one of his works is in the permanent exhibition collection of the Long Island Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. Bulut, whose permanent monumental sculptures are also located in public spaces, has been awarded the first prize in the Çukurova University Sculpture Competition in 1999, the Ege-Art Sculpture Workshop award in 2009, the Social Education and Development Association award in 2012, and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Distinguished Service Medal in 2013. The artist, who also organizes sculpture workshops with children in different cities of Anatolia in collaboration with the Creative Children's Association, is currently working on an open-air sculpture park and museum project called "Sculpture Field" in Kumburgaz, Istanbul.

Wednesday, April 8th

12:00-13:00

Address: İmoga Art Space, Kuzguncuk, İcadiye Caddesi, Üsküdar (Since the artist's studio is in Çatalca, we will be meeting at the exhibition at İmoga.)

https://maps.app.goo.gl/okX1vJppg6GQorND9?g_st=ic

At our 550th Art Gathering, we are visiting the studio of artist Özer Toraman.

Toraman, based in Istanbul and Berlin, addresses themes of urban life, the body, human identity, and gender through figurative paintings.

His new works, inspired by urban life, are constructed through personal avatars, pairings, and everyday social interactions. These works reveal the limitless possibilities of representing imagined situations, memories, desires, and emotions. Toraman also describes his oil paintings, depicting figures positioned in nature in diverse locations such as Berlin, Istanbul, Lisbon, Thailand, and New Mexico, as "reimagined landscapes." His bold simplicity and intensified use of color position the viewer on a threshold between reality and fantasy.

Born in Van in 1989, Özer Toraman lives and works in Istanbul and Berlin. Between 2022 and 2024, the artist participated in the Pure Joy of Nature (Noh Art Contemporary, 2022) and Ateliers Höherweg artist residency programs in Naples and Düsseldorf; in the same year, she continued her production in an international context with her solo exhibition titled The Ocean in My Heart (Gallery 39+, 2024) in Singapore.

Selected exhibitions the artist has participated in both domestically and internationally include Silent Dialogue (Pi Artworks, 2026) in Istanbul, The Ocean in My Heart (Gallery 39+, 2024) in Singapore, Spring (Ateliers Höherweg, 2024) in Düsseldorf, Garden of the Mind (Pi Artworks, 2023) in Istanbul, Friends and Family (Pi Artworks London, 2022) in London, The World Continues to Turn (Pi Artworks, 2021) in Istanbul, The Ballery (The Ballery Gallery, 2019) and Passengers of Kaleidoscopic Journey (2018) in Berlin, Anatomy of Passion (Pg Art Gallery, 2018), The First Dream (Bozlu Art Project, 2017), Borders Orbits 17 (Siemens Art, 2015), You Lived Gently in My World (Artnivo, 2018) in Istanbul. The exhibition includes Mamut Art Project (2014) and (2015).

Wednesday, April 1st

12:00-13:00

Address: Piyalepaşa, 32B Piyalepaşa Boulevard, Istanbul

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1PdbRNMVoNttrQ6k7?g_st=ic

At our 549th Art Gathering, we are visiting the "A Year in the Passage" workshop.

"A Year in the Passage" was established to cover the production costs and provide a workshop environment for young artists who have graduated from the Painting Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts for a year. The workshop activities are conducted under the supervision of Painter Prof. Dr. Nedret Sekban, one of the project's initiators and coordinator, and international artist Aslı Özok.

Now in its sixth year, the project provides young artists with the opportunity to meet art professionals and collectors at important art fairs such as Artweeks, Contemporary Istanbul, and ArtContact.

Artists participating in our project this year:

· Muzaffer Tuna

· Ayça Selcen Korgun

· Dilek Laçin

· Ezgi Kanargı

· Gizem Şanlı

· Mehmet Anik

· Mevsim Çağan

· Sena Gökçeoğlu

· Yaren Aycı

· Yavuz Uzun

We will visit the project, which is sponsored by İyi Finans for workshops and meals, accompanied by the project coordinator, artist Aslı Özok.

Wednesday, March 25

12:00-13:00

Address: Mecidiyeköy Mahallesi, Büyükdere Caddesi No:76 Kat:4 İyi Finans Office Floor, Şişli

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gv9P2Nirq7xxrNRn7?g_st=ic

At our 548th Art Gathering, we are visiting the studio of artist İhsan Oturmak.

İhsan Oturmak's practice focuses on space, power relations, and the invisible structures of everyday life. Through painting, video, sculpture, and installation, the artist explores how individuals are positioned within a space and the invisible norms that determine their behavior. In his works, figures, objects, and architectural elements are often in tense relationships with space. These arrangements make visible the fragility of concepts such as belonging, ownership, and settlement.

In Oturmak's works, everyday objects and architectural details are not merely depicted elements; they also emerge as signs carrying the invisible boundaries of social structures. Through an intuitive visual language, the artist questions the relationship between the individual and space, inviting the viewer to reflect on the invisible order behind these relationships.

In his recent works, Oturmak examines the relationship between space and collective memory, particularly focusing on how migration, belonging, and indirect relationships with the state leave their mark on everyday spaces. Observational sketches, photographs, and short videos are incorporated into his production as part of this research process.

Born in 1987, the artist is a graduate of Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting. Her work has been featured in numerous international exhibitions and biennials. These include “Painting This Day” at Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts in Istanbul, the 8th Çanakkale Biennial, the 4th Mardin Biennial, “Four Positions in Painting” at the Peter Kilchmann Gallery in Zurich, “Don’t Look Back, Deep is the Past” at OMM Odunpazarı Modern Museum, “Curating War” at Kunstraum Innsbruck, and “Journeys” at Espace Cultural Louis Vuitton.

Wednesday, March 18

12:00-13:00

Address: Cihangir, Güneşli Sokak No:40 Daire:8 Beyoğlu

https://maps.app.goo.gl/MtNCK21jaEAcUxF59?g_st=ic