EU spotlights digital art in Ankara

Welcome back to AL-MONITOR Istanbul.

Once more, the City Pulse Istanbul is back in the capital as late April and early May turn it into a circuit of receptions, national days and carefully worded speeches, most of them orbiting around Europe Day on May 9.

Yet beyond the formalities, something more textured takes shape. This week, we follow that shift: from a dual digital exhibition that opens the EU’s program with questions of nature and technology to a gallery opening by Turkish Danish artist Alev Ebuzziya Siesbye, followed by a reception at the brilliantly renovated Danish Ambassador’s Residence. Then we’ll explore a small restaurant redefining Esat’s culinary map, and a photograph that links Europe and Asia.

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Thanks for reading,

Nazlan (@NazlanEr on X)

P.S. Have tips on Istanbul’s culture scene? Send them my way at nertan@al-monitor.com.

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1. Leading the week: Going with the flow

Ecem Dilan Kose’s “Becoming Matter” (Courtesy of the artist 2026)

On May 5, at the height of Ankara’s Europe Day calendar, the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey opens a dual digital exhibition at CerModern’s Flow. The evening, led by the head of the delegation, brings together Ecem Dilan Kose’s “Becoming Matter” and “Residue” by Bilkent University’s “COMD Iz Studio” under Andreas Treske.

The works run consecutively on a continuous loop, each taking over the space in turn. Kose’s 20-minute “Becoming Matter” is structured as a controlled progression: image, sound and code move in tandem, in brilliant color and form. Trained in interior architecture, she treats digital media as something to be built and tested. She writes her own code, composes her own sound and keeps the process visible in the work. Her position is clear: “What we call artificial is also part of nature, because it has emerged from it.”

When “Residue” takes over, the focus shifts from transformation to what remains. Iz, named after the Turkish word for “trace,” works with fragments: salt formations, data, glitches and recorded sound. The project draws on research that extends from Tuz Golu to laboratory imaging, translating physical and digital processes into visual form. Its central line is blunt and effective: “Data, rendered visible, is residue. Salt is residue. Glitch is residue.”

Both works return, in different ways, to nature, not as scenery but as a system. The EU’s curatorial choice reads as a quiet nod to the European Commission’s Green Deal agenda, with a glance toward Turkey’s role as host of COP31. The EU’s new head, Aivo Orav — who previously served as the Estonian ambassador to Ankara a dozen years ago — may be one of the few diplomats whose first public act is a cultural one.

A moment at the launch (Courtesy of European Union 2026)

And while at CerModern, do not miss the other digital exhibition: “Monet-Cezanne.”

Location: Flow, CerModern, Altinsoy Cad. No:3, Sihhiye, Ankara
Dates: Until May 17

2. Word on the street: Saniye Gastro

Saniye Gastro, small and impactful (Photo Saniye Facebook)

With its easy chic vibe, Saniye Gastro is the kind of place Ankara has been waiting for. Tucked into Esat Hal — a rising cultural hub, where the bustling neighborhood market once stood — this small chef’s restaurant is already drawing a loyal crowd. At the helm is Aysen Bozyigit, a former culinary consultant who has moved from advisory roles into a tightly run kitchen of her own.

The name comes from her grandmother, Saniye, who lived on Heybeliada, one of Istanbul’s Princes’ Islands, and the menu carries that sense of layered memory and Greek/Armenian culinary heritage. Turkish cuisine opens outward: soups with depth, sharply built salads and a standout liver. A small note before you go: There is no alcohol — not yet. 

Location: Esat Semt Hali ve Carsisi No: 126/17 Esat

3. Istanbul diary

Alev Ebuzziya Siesbye’s ceramic bowls (Courtesy of Galeri Nev)

Alev Ebuzziya Siesbye returns to Galeri Nev Ankara with a selection of her ceramic bowls, focusing on works from 2024 onward. Presented within the Galeri Nev series, guided by Deniz Artun, the exhibition highlights her pared-down forms and controlled use of color. Ebuzziya Siesby, stunning in her belted black dress and chain-smoking elegance, attended the opening, which was followed by a reception at the Danish Ambassador’s Residence. Until June 1.

In Istanbul, Mehtap Baydu’s first institutional solo exhibition in Turkey, “Loving You Is So Hard!” opens at Arter, curated by the brilliant Selen Ansen. The exhibition spans performance, sculpture, photography and video. Until Nov. 16.

At Erimtan Archaeology and Arts Museum, “Law of Attraction,” curated by Eda Berkmen, brings together contemporary works and archaeological artifacts to explore themes of desire, distance and imagination. Featuring artists including Asli Cavusoglu, Basim Magdy and Ilhan Koman. Until Sept. 6.