Ahmet Güneştekin's 'Gavur Mahallesi' Exhibition Breaks Visitor Record

Artist Ahmet Güneştekin's “Gavur Mahallesi” exhibition opened on November 3, hosted by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, is breaking the visitor record. 300 thousand people have visited the exhibition in Kulturpark Atlas Pavilion so far. The number of daily visitors to the exhibition on weekends is over 10 thousand.

There is great interest in the artist Ahmet Güneştekin's “Gavur Mahallesi” exhibition, which was opened at the Kültüpark Atlas Pavilion, hosted by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. The exhibition, which opened on November 3, has been visited by 300 people so far. The number of daily visitors to the exhibition on weekends is over 10 thousand. Ahmet Güneştekin stated that it is not unusual for more than 10 thousand visitors to visit current solo exhibitions in the world and said that it is difficult to reach these numbers, including art fairs, biennials and museums, as well as major organizations of artists.

Güneştekin: I expected attention but not so many visitors

Expressing that he expected the “Gavur Mahallesi” exhibition in İzmir to attract attention, Güneştekin continued: “But I honestly did not expect that the “Memory Room” exhibition in Diyarbakır would reach the number of visitors! The public's appreciation of the exhibition and sharing it on social media, despite the ignorance of the press and especially the state, by the cultural circles, and the recommendation that they went to the exhibition 4-5 times greatly increased this interest. Exhibitions are held in museums, galleries, institutes and all kinds of exhibition areas all over the world for the public to visit and attract attention, and it is not possible to classify any art audience in the world. The interest of the people of Izmir in the subject of exchange and the presenting of the sins experienced as a document to current and next generations through art were met with interest.” Güneştekin also mentioned the importance of the exhibition's interest outside Turkey and Istanbul in terms of the accessibility of the arts for everyone.

Exhibition highlights cultural diversity

Ahmet Güneştekin explains that discriminatory practices, as in all mass displacements after the population exchange and its aftermath, became more visible with international waves of refugees and migrants. Gavur Mahallesi offers the opportunity to understand the historical, cultural and political effects of being human. While establishing a relationship with form, material and surface through a multidisciplinary work, he creates a space to look at the past through the eyes of otherness by examining the past with the present.

Open until March 5

The exhibition, which was held with the main theme of “Exchange”, features large-scale installations, videos and sculptures completed by metal forms with stone. Şener Özmen is the curator of the exhibition, which can be visited until March 5, 2023. A book published by the Güneştekin Foundation accompanies the exhibition, which was opened in cooperation with the Güneştekin Foundation.

There are also guided tours

Narrated tours with a guide are organized every day for the exhibition. Those who want to attend the exhibition as a group and participate in the narrated tour, which can be visited between 09.00-17.30 on weekdays and 10.00-17.00 on weekends, can make a reservation by calling 293 17 26.

Inauguration President Tunç Soyer had done

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor opened the exhibition. Tunç Soyer had done. Minister Tunç Soyer“Ahmet Güneştekin made us all feel that he is a universal artist. In his exhibition, the issue of memory occupies an important place in his art. Indeed, we live in such an age of speed that; We live as if life begins and ends with us. However, if we do not refresh the memory behind, there is a risk of repeating the mistakes we made. For him, memory is a very precious thing. Especially if you remember and refresh the memory with art, then you leave much more permanent traces.”