The Türkiye İş Bankası Painting and Sculpture Museum is celebrating its third anniversary with a special exhibition. The new temporary exhibition, "Side by Side," brings together the works of Eren and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu and Melahat and Eşref Üren under one roof, presenting a multilayered narrative through letters, cartoons, poems, sketches, and documents alongside paintings. Tracing the traces of collaborative production, mutual nourishment, and the often invisible labor involved, the exhibition invites the viewer on a journey of both individual and collective memory.
The exhibition brings together the works of two artist couples, transforming their individual artistic journeys into a collective narrative. On the third floor, works by Melahat and Eşref Üren are displayed by Dr. Lecturer Dr. While the exhibition is curated by Ali Kayaalp, the second floor features works by Eren and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, curated by Ömer Faruk Şerifoğlu. This structure reveals the aesthetic reflections of both couples' shared lives while also revealing the tensions, joys, and vulnerabilities that come with "creating together."
Kayaalp summarizes his approach to the exhibition as follows: "We sought to emphasize the delicate balance between being side by side and yet alone in the Üren couple. Without marginalizing Eşref Üren's presence, we wanted to reflect the dynamics, tensions, harmony, and resentments of an artist couple's relationship by giving Melahat Üren equal space." Şerifoğlu, who prepared the Eyüboğlu couple's selection, explains the process: “Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, with his life and works, became a myth that brought Turkish art to a universal dimension. Eren Eyüboğlu, on the other hand, has earned a rightful place in the Turkish art scene with his universal personality. The exhibition strives to demonstrate how this production, informed by Anatolia with its folklore, cultural richness, and geography, has created a legacy side by side.”
“Side by Side” goes beyond being an exhibition; it establishes an experiential space that questions the individual and collective memory of art. The works transport the viewer to different layers of history, not only through their visual aesthetics but also through the accompanying letters, documents, and sketches. Thus, the exhibition reveals both a personal and a collective memory. One of the most important points highlighted by the curatorial choices is that they prompt reflection on the different meanings of being “side by side.” Producing together, nourishing one another, remembering invisible labor, or sharing loneliness… By presenting all these emotional and intellectual layers together, the exhibition also confronts the viewer with the states of “side by side” in their own lives. "Side by Side" will be available to art lovers free of charge as part of the Istanbul Cultural Road Festival and will be open until July 10, 2026.
Women's Labor Matters
The exhibition revisits not only the work of artist couples but also the often-invisible labor of women artists. The curatorial approach, focusing on the work of Melahat Üren and Eren Eyüboğlu, further emphasizes the role of women artists in art history. İş Sanat General Manager Zuhal Üreten emphasizes the importance of this focus, saying, "In these two parallel exhibitions, which offer the opportunity to view the works of Melahat and Eşref Üren, and Eren and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, within the framework of 'sharing art and life with its beauties and challenges,' a stronger focus on the work of women artists is evident. I hope this focus illuminates the path of women's labor in art and life." Üreten also notes that the Türkiye İş Bankası Art Collection has been enriched in recent years with works by prominent female artists such as Füreya Koral, Mihri Hanım, Aliye Berger, Azade Köker, and Semiha Berksoy. He emphasizes that these works can also be viewed in the museum's permanent collection.
Source: https://www.milliyet.com.tr/kultur-sanat/birlikte-uretmenin-yansimalari-7456475