Erupting with art: Istanbul's volcano-inspired exhibitions
From steamy curries to fiery canvases, Istanbul’s culture calendar is on a roll this week.
Welcome to Al-Monitor Istanbul.
Istanbul is bubbling over, with volcanoes in galleries, Thai spice on the plate and Artweeks launching its solo edition. We drop in on a fiery group show, revisit a photographic trailblazer and follow the cultural breadcrumbs from Pera to the cinema aisles.
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1. Leading the week: The art of eruption
Alex Cerveny’s “Nem mais, Nem Menos” (Courtesy of the Artist & Millan)
What better symbol for our turbulent world than a volcano? The “Volcano Lover,” Galerist’s latest group show curated by Anlam de Coster and inspired by Susan Sontag’s novel by the same name, captures the raw edge of an era shaped by political unrest, ecological dread and spiritual unease.
With 39 artists from across the globe, the exhibition treats the volcano not just as a force of destruction but as a site of transformation, instinct and reawakening. At the entrance, Turkish artist Elif Uras offers a playful take on Emma Hamilton, the muse of Sontag’s novel, portraying scenes from her famously stormy life. Her emotional arc echoes Friedrich Rehberg’s delicate sketch of Lady Hamilton weeping after Lord Nelson’s death.
In “Nem mais, nem menos” (“No more, no less”), a small but arresting oil on canvas, Alex Cerveny rises in a holographic shimmer over a volcano-flattened city, its monuments scattered like forgotten toys. Ayla Tavares finds inspiration in Catalhoyuk’s prehistoric eruption imagery, while Ahmet Dogu Ipek pokes at colonial absurdities with “Caecus and Albino,” a map of an imaginary island that belongs to no one and nowhere.
The power of the show lies in the connections it invites — much like the varied but interconnected rooms of Galerist’s historic Passage Petits-Champs home, a 19th-century building in Pera, where the gallery has been located since 2011. In this exhibition, chaos is the catalyst of surprises to come. As de Coster notes, “Volcanoes reflect the fragile structure of today’s world. But like in nature, chaos is not a conclusion — it’s the start of something.”
Date: until April 26
Address: Passage Petits-Champs; Mesrutiyet Cad. 67/1 Tepebasi, Beyoglu
2. Word on the street: Cok Cok Thai
Spiced soups and warm service in Cok Cok Thai. (Cok Cok Thai website)
Just around the corner from Galerist, Cok Cok Thai has been serving classic Thai cuisine since 2006. Twice featured in the Michelin Guide, it offers vibrant curries, crisp vegetable spring rolls and delicately spiced soups in a setting that reflects Thai culture with care. You can sit on the lively terrace or opt for the calm interior. Don’t miss the sweet-and-sour rolls or the spicy eggplant curry, and enjoy attentive and warm service — a rarity in fast-paced Beyoglu.
Address: Mesrutiyet Cad. No:51/A Beyoglu
3. Istanbul diary
The Swingles, five-time Grammy Award winners. (Photo via internationalmusic.it)
- Brace for an arts marathon with Artweeks Istanbul, which launches its first Solo Edition at the Ritz-Carlton Residences from April 10-14. The event showcases individual exhibitions by independent artists and gallerists.
- Get ready for great cinema with the 44th Istanbul Film Festival, organized by IKSV, the city’s cultural dynamo, which brings 139 feature films and 15 shorts to seven venues around town. This year’s Honorary Award goes to actor and singer Zuhal Olcay, who will receive it during the April 11 opening gala. Highlights include “The Last Showgirl” by Gia Coppola, “Dreams” starring Jessica Chastain, the experimental Brian Eno documentary “Eno,” Francois Ozon’s “When Fall Is Coming” and “Koln 75,” the festival’s opening film.
- The Grammy-winning vocal group The Swingles will perform at CRR Concert Hall on April 12. They will bring their signature a cappella style, which made them a fixture in everything from “Grey’s Anatomy” to “The Two Popes” — tickets and info here.
4. Book of the week: “Cinema in Turkey”
With many film festivals lighting up Istanbul this April, you might wonder: What exactly is Turkish cinema? “Cinema in Turkey: A New Critical History” by Savas Arslan is your definitive guide. From Yesilcam’s melodramatic golden age to today’s arthouse revival, Arslan unpacks over 6,000 films with sharp analysis and over 45 illustrations. Scholarly but accessible, it’s perfect for cinephiles, students or anyone who's sat through a Nuri Bilge Ceylan film.
5. Istanbul gaze
Untitled by Yildiz Moran. (Courtesy of the Estate of the Artist & Galeri Nev)
This 1957 photograph of Mount Agri was taken by Yildiz Moran, Turkey’s first academically trained female photographer, who passed away on April 15, 1995. A pioneer who traveled solo across the country, she captured the spirit of a changing nation with lyrical precision. After marrying poet Ozdemir Asaf in 1963, she left photography but never the arts — translating his poetry and continuing to write. Some of her works, including the Agri photograph above, can be currently seen at the Galerist’s “The Volcano Lover.”
6. By the numbers
- According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, state theaters welcomed over 2.1 million attendees — a 66% increase — and staged 224 plays and 737 touring performances.
- Opera and ballet drew 613,276 viewers across 1,009 shows, said the ministry.