Nilbar Güreş will be presenting at Arter with "Velvet Gaze," showcasing her 25-year artistic practice. "Velvet Gaze," Nilbar Güreş's first institutional solo exhibition in Türkiye, will be open to the public tomorrow in Arter's second-floor gallery.
The artist met with members of the press at a preview of the exhibition, which welcomes Arter's new culture and arts season. Güreş noted that the exhibition covers a very long period, including various works from her student years. "I don't think we've created a very dense exhibition. It's not overly dense. I found the balance of the exhibition very good and appropriate." Güreş stated that the exhibition included a selection of engravings, paintings, and photographs he has made since 1998, and noted the following: "When you visit the exhibition, you will see that I tried everything. We have also included the paintings I made during the pandemic in your exhibition. This exhibition is very important to me in that sense as well. Because I painted for the first time in over 20 years during the pandemic, and those paintings turned out very natural and naive. I am frankly happy that there is an exhibition where you can also see pandemic paintings. It is as if all that was lost and missed is in this exhibition. I think it is a useful exhibition in terms of understanding my practice in general." "We tried to capture a thematic flow and narrative" Curator Emre Baykal also stated that working with Güreş was an inspiring and instructive process for him, saying, "I am grateful that he generously shared his artistic production adventure and the body of works he has produced so far with me since the beginning while we were preparing for the exhibition together." Baykal explained that the artist's sincerity and generosity in sharing the intellectual processes that shape his practice, his working method, his relationship with the material, and many other things with such sincerity and generosity were invaluable. He continued, "While creating the exhibition, we revisited this persistent and extraordinarily rich production, which has spanned over 25 years without interruption, constantly diversifying and multiplying, from its inception to the present day. We sought to capture a holistic perspective on his artistic practice, as well as a thematic flow and narrative." Baykal, pointing out that the exhibition's title was borrowed from one of the works, noted: "The exhibition brings together works from very different periods, including engravings made by the artist in the late 1990s while he was still a student and, to my knowledge, not exhibited until now, with new works produced for this exhibition." About the exhibition: The exhibition features a comprehensive selection of works produced in various media, including painting, engraving, collage, photography, sculpture, and video. Opening a wide window into Güreş's practice spanning over 25 years, the exhibition focuses on the artist's practice, which blurs the boundaries between human and non-human, reality and fiction, and representation and abstraction. Combining storytelling with critical discourse, the exhibition creates a constantly evolving, colorful world where human, animal, plant, and mythological elements intertwine. The exhibition, which brings together the artist's early works with his newer works, is also accompanied by a book exploring the artist's practice in its various layers.
Designed by Didem Uraler Çelik, the publication features texts by Emre Baykal, Silvia Eiblmayr, and Lora Sarıaslan. The exhibition will be open to visitors until April 12, 2026.
Source: https://www.sondakika.com/amp/haber-nilbar-gures-in-ilk-solo-sergisi-kadife-bakis-19033490/