Art blooms beyond Istanbul in Urla

Welcome to Al-Monitor Istanbul.

This week, we detour to the Aegean’s thinking person’s escape — Urla — on our way from Izmir to Cesme. Urla — once ancient Klazomenai, birthplace of the philosopher Anaxagoras — is home to vineyards, olive groves and slow-burning culture.

While Cesme and Bodrum are busy inflating beach bills, Urla quietly serves Michelin plates in perfect ceramics, reminding us that good things (and good wines) take time. We’ll take you to a stone-walled culture hub and a great historian’s tale of three cities. Start packing!

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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: Young and unhiddden

“Untitled” by Duygu Aydogan, epoxy, clay and dried leaves. (Photo Nazlan Ertan)

BASE, the Istanbul-based art platform spotlighting fresh graduates since 2017, has taken the plunge into the Aegean. Its latest project, “BaseSelected × UrlaDam,” brings 32 alumni into the stone-wrapped calm of UrlaDam Art Gallery. “Dogada Sakli” (Hidden in Nature) explores the interplay between stillness and movement in a nature that we increasingly feel estranged from.

Emre Evcimen builds resin-and-paint worlds (pictured below) that feel like the Little Prince’s asteroid B-612 for grown-ups — dystopian and barren. Nesligul Cebesoy’s “There Away” turns the view beyond a window into a dreamscape. Two works in reddish tones catch our eye against the stark-white interior of the gallery: Duygu Aydogan’s “Untitled” freezes a figure in epoxy and lays her among dried leaves (main image). Mardin-born Baver Doganay’s “dilop/trop/damla” pulls local motifs into contemporary design, with a mood that sways between tenderness and defiance. And Dilara Gol’s brilliant “Neural Blossoms” channels the words of a psychiatric patient into dense, spiraling pen strokes, sparked by his line to his doctor: “I will stop sharing the blossoms of my mind with you.”

Emre Evcimen’s  figurine “Untitled” against two oil paints by Bariscan Seval, “Lonely Waves I-II.” (Photo Nazlan Ertan)

UrlaDam is a cultural campus born from the creative ambition of actress Nazan Kesal and her husband, Ercan Kesal, the multifaceted author, actor and doctor. As Ercan put it, UrlaDam is “a place to awaken, reconnect and slow down.” Designed with architect Semih Kadri Felek and restored from old structures, the site folds together exhibitions, theater, a library, workshops and guest rooms. Keep an eye on its activities before planning your holiday in the region.

Address: Camiatik, Mimoza Sk. No: 13/A 35430 Urla +90 232 434 05 55 info@urladam.com.tr

Date: Until Sept. 12

2. Word on the street: Starry Suppers

Fresh peas and greens. (Photo: Defne Ertan Tuysuzoglu)

Urla is literally star-studded, with Michelin anointing two local darlings. At OD Urla, chef Osman Sezener runs an innovative kitchen rooted in his family’s culinary tradition and land: olive groves, open-fire cooking and zero-waste ethics. Vino Locale is the gastronomic sweet spot where Seray Kumbasar’s encyclopedic knowledge of local grapes meets seasonal plates — each wine-to-dish pairing feels like an insider tip. But our lesser-known pick is Barba, tucked inside the Kıyıda Urla boutique hotel. Modern, relaxed and seafood-forward, it’s the perfect setting for sunsets, with its orange-and-lemon-zested pea salad (above), velvet tomato salad (which I shamelessly stole for my summer dinners), excellent cocktails laced with sorrel, and a knowledgeable and enthusiastic team.  Feeling adventurous? This menu might convert you to okra and tripe for life.

Address: Sut Pınarı Mevkii, Rustem, 2018/9 Sokak No:28, 35430 Urla/Izmir

3. Istanbul (and beyond) diary

Arkas Art Urla, which houses part of Lucien Arkas’ vast collection. (Photo Arkas website)

• Arkas Art Urla, opened in 2020, houses Lucien Arkas’s vast collection in a sumptuous pavilion that earned a Turgut Cansever Architecture Award mention. Inside, European masters like Rodin and Braque sit alongside Renaissance tapestries. Attention: It’s only open four days a week.
• Urla Jazz Festival, from Sept. 5-7, turns the town into a stage for masters and rising talents. Get tickets and see the programs here.
• Istanbul readies for a frenetic September with Istanbul Biennial as its crown jewel. But whilst waiting, the Liszt Institute’s “Hungarian Art Nouveau” photo exhibition by Dorka Demeter, tracing the style across Central Europe, is on view until Aug. 31.