Exhibitions Releases

A Contemporary Dialogue on Time
in the Ancient Anatolian Cities

27 April 2022 Wed

Borusan Contemporary’s new exhibition Chronostasis meets the audience on April 30. The exhibition will be open for visitors at Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion] after a long while due to health measures and it presents ancient Anatolian cities with a fresh view from Axel Hütte’s lens.

Borusan Contemporary invites the audience to rediscover the rich history of ancient Anatolian cities with its new exhibition Chronostasis. The show presents works by Axel Hütte who is known for his photographs of urban scenes devoid of crowds and sublime landscapes. Curated by Hans Irrek, Chronostasis can be viewed at Borusan Contemporary on weekends between April 30th and August 28th, 2022.

In the context of the strategy of the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection to expand with artworks contributing to the social field, Chronostasis is among the commissioned projects executed by internationally renowned photographers. In this framework, the commissioned artworks focusing on the natural and cultural values of Türkiyeaim to improve the international visibility of cultural assets within the territories of the country.         

During his travels to Türkiye for the project in 2017 and 2018, the artist completed his shootings which are planned on a route covering fourteen ancient cities including Ephesus, Perge, Sagalassos, Hierapolis, and Aphrodisias. With Didyma and Miletus included in the route with the initiative of the artist, the project transformed into a grand “Asia Minor ancient cities” undertaking.     

The selection in the exhibition is supported by loaned works and through a comprehensive curatorial approach, it presents the artistic practice of Axel Hütte who is recently awarded an Honorary Fellowship by RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects).

Axel Hütte’s solo show Chronostasis, can be viewed at Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion], the headquarter of Borusan Holding, until August 28th and they bring the ancient world to the present day through a timeless perspective.

An exhibition experience in which the view emerges as timeless: Chronostasis

Axel Hütte creates images of captivating beauty through his craftsmanship in technical aspects of photography and his mastership in reflecting naturally existing phenomena. He triggers the imagination of the audience by making use of subtle image manipulations and presenting the view as if it is frozen. The artist considers the landscape as a static background  and transforms the perception of time by immortalizing the ancient settlements with his photographs. In the end, Hütte leaves the audience with images of ravishing beauty.

The works in the exhibition aim to foster dialogue by connecting diverse elements in Axel Hütte’s understanding of photography. The artist provides new hints about the cultural life in the ancient Anatolian civilizations with his photographs in the exhibition. Through his photographic exegesis, Axel Hütte brings the places out of the shadows of history and carries them to our times with vivacity in Chronostasis and he incorporates time into his art practice as an artistic element.

Borusan Contemporary Manager Dr. Kumru Eren expresses her gratitude for meeting their audience again with their new collection exhibition Chronostasis: “As Borusan Contemporary we continue to present the most powerful pieces of today’s art to the audience. Chronostasis is the third commissioned project executed by a prominent name in the art of photography and it is realized with the mission of documenting the cultural heritage of Türkiye from a contemporary perspective. Curated by Hans Irrek, the exhibition brings the ancient world out of the shadows of history and carries it to our times via Axel Hütte’s Asia Minor route covering fourteen ancient cities. Chronostasis provides new hints about the cultural life in the ancient world from Axel Hütte’s lens and it can be viewed in Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion] until August 28th.” Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation Board of Director Zeynep Hamedi shares her thoughts about the exhibition: “Although we had to suspend our shows for nearly two years due to the pandemic, we are delighted to meet our audience and continue our collection exhibitions at Borusan Contemporary with a solo presentation by one of our collection artists, Axel Hütte: Chronostasis. The Borusan Contemporary Art Collection hosted numerous artists and their works in the collection. They are presented in the exhibitions organized to promote today’s art as well as the natural and cultural values of our country. This time we are at Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion] with a special project by the photography artist Axel Hütte. Chronostasis is curated by Hans Irrek and it covers the photographs in which Axel Hütte interpreted the ancient cities in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, along with his previous works. In the context of this special exhibition, I welcome all our guests and artists; I also hope this would be a pleasant experience for our audience.” Curator Hans Irrek shares his statement about the concept of “chronostasis” which is the title of the exhibition: “Chronostasis is a temporary illusion and as it occurs the first impression of a new stimulus to the brain can appear to be longer than it is. This exhibition is also about the changes in the perception of time. According to Axel Hütte, photography reflects the moment in which the gaze is frozen, and comes to rest. At the same time, it is the spark that animates the viewer’s imagination, enabling the experience of it. For Hütte, photography is the tool by which the quintessential component of the moment is suspended.” On his project commissioned by the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection, Axel Hütte states that: “A photography project always starts with an approach with no other specific intention but to find a new way of transforming reality into a poetic vision of images. It is wrong to think that landscape is timeless. Only through various aesthetic strategies, the illusion of timelessness can be created. I refrain from including people in my photographs and the cropping of the view indicates that the image is constructed in my works.”                       

Chronostasis exhibition book is at ArtStore!

The exhibition’s photobook features the photograph series prepared for the project by Axel Hütte upon the commission of Borusan Contemporary and other works by the artist in the collection. In the book, texts by Borusan Contemporary Manager, Dr. Kumru Eren, and exhibition curator Hans Irrek are accompanied by Axel Hütte’s photographs. The comprehensive publication covers the short historical information about the ancient cities photographed by Hütte as well as a detailed bibliography of books on the artist’s works. You may purchase this special publication from ArtStore.      

You are invited to the exhibition tour by curator Hans Irrek on April 30th, Saturday
 
On the opening day of Chronostasis, April 30th, Saturday curator Hans Irrek will be giving an exhibition tour. Consecutive translations from German to Turkish will be available during the event. The free tour starts at 13:00 and you may register via Borusan Contemporary’s e-mail.   The capacity will be limited with 50 people.

The Borusan Contemporary Art Collection exhibition Water Reverie can be visited at Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion]

Programmed as a hybrid exhibition experience in 2021 by Borusan Contemporary, the collection exhibition WaterReverie can be visited at Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion] until August 27th. During the pandemic, the exhibition was presented in the public space via various digital platforms like a 360-degree online exhibition tour and the Water Reverie Art Walk mobile application. Water Reverie intends to cultivate readings of artworks in the context of contemporary literature. Twelve works from the exhibition can be viewed via the mobile application supported by augmented reality technology on a route covering the distance between Kuruçeşme Park and Emirgan Woods on the Bosphorus line.        

Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion] turns into a canvas

New media artist Phillip Frank’s projection installation titled “Mycelium Network” on the façade of Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion] is on view since April 30th. The project is commissioned by the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection and the work focuses on the impact of fungi—considered neither plant nor animal—on the ecosystem of our planet. Fungi are key agents in the biocommunication within soil, flora, and trees. The water and mineral exchange carried out by these organisms transform into flickering patterns and synchronized waves on the façade of Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion].   

About Borusan Contemporary

Borusan Contemporary is an institution devoted to contemporary art, providing a multi-platform program of exhibitions, events, and educational activities rooted in the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection whilst promoting the production of new artworks and publications through commissions.

Since 2011, these programs have been defined by their specific focus on international artists who work with photography, video, sound, light, software, data, and other technological mediums that are, by and large, pertinent to New Media art.

The exhibition and event programs take place at the Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion] housing the headquarters of Borusan Holding, thus creating a distinctive art center within an office environment as well as an innovative and creative model in the business world.

Most of the institutional programs are presented at Perili Köşk [Haunted Mansion] in İstanbul. Borusan Holding offices also reside in the building and this creates a unique museum energized in an office setting. The whole building with its exhibition and office spaces, Museum Café, ArtStore as well as terraces with a breathtaking view over the Bosphorus are open for visitors every weekend.

You may visit our website, subscribe to our newsletter, or follow our social media accounts for updates.

Visiting hours and important information:

Borusan Contemporary is open to the public only on weekends between 10:00-19:00. Guided exhibition tours are free and available in the museum by the hour between 11:00 and 18:00.   

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Rumelihisarı Mah. Baltalimanı Hisar Cad. No: 5 Perili Köşk, Sarıyer, İstanbul.

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