Eşref Yıldırım at We've Been at the Tapestry Studio Since the 90s at Salt Beyoğlu (19/09/2025)
Since the 1990s, contemporary art in Turkey has engaged with politics and social movements, though its place in academic curricula has been limited. At MSGSÜ (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University), the Tapestry Workshop took a different approach, combining carpet weaving with contemporary art and bringing together students, artists, and cultural workers in an open and collective learning model. From 1992 onwards, the workshop was transformed by the dynamism of Gülçin Aksoy and her students, expanding its connections with Istanbul’s independent initiatives and interdisciplinary collectives. The exhibition highlights the workshop’s collective production, creative dissent, and engagement with everyday life, presenting works, collaborative projects, and archival materials from artists who have passed through the workshop.
The exhibition title comes from a dream experienced by Duygu Sabancılar during her time at the Tapestry Workshop, later turned into a banner by Gülçin Aksoy and her students. The exhibition will be on view at Salt Beyoğlu from September 19, 2025, to March 1, 2026.
Image: Eşref Yıldırım, Arkadaş Z. Özger, Yalnızlık her sabah öldürüyor beni, 2020
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