Yelta Köm, “accidental truth”, 2023.

The mood of this exhibition is a bit perplexing. It’s as if certain situations that we don’t typically notice converge on an ordinary afternoon and suddenly awaken us to a familiar yet alien dream. On the other hand, it also embodies a curious mood, prompting questions about what will happen in the future…
Yelta Köm

We would like to share with you a contemporary art exhibition that caught our attention while we were traveling around Istanbul.

Addressing the social and political issues through architectural, artistic, and spatial practices, artist Yelta Köm’s exhibition “all familiar, all foreign” at Versus Art Project brings together the works produced by the artist using different media such as photography, video, sculpture, and text. It invites the viewer to a speculative archaeological site. Through the works that problematize the relationship of power mechanisms with technology, the exhibition transforms into a space where everything is both familiar and foreign at the same time.

A glitch in the soil,
a space of fiction.
All is familiar,
all is foreign.

The exhibition, curated by Ulya Soley, proposes new constructs to replace the established worldviews and offers alternative tools for thinking about the future.

You can visit the gallery to see the content of the exhibition:

“All familiar, all foreign: You stand at a point without history, against an infinite backdrop.”

After completing his undergraduate studies in the Department of Architecture at Yıldız Technical University and earning his master’s degree at the Städelschule State College of Fine Arts, Yelta Köm (b.1986, Istanbul) has focused on critical practices related to landforms, technology, space, and communities. His areas of interest also include surveillance methodologies related to the city and data, architectural technologies, mapping systems, oral and cinematographic storytelling, as well as questioning of representation techniques.

Yelta Köm, drawing inspiration from environmental perception, urban imagery, neoliberal transformations, the interplay between nature and technology, and collective movements, has been residing in Berlin for some time. He is affiliated with the “Practices and Politics of Visual Representation” department at Bauhaus University Weimar Faculty of Architecture and serves as a researcher in the Topological Atlas project hosted by TU Delft.

As one of the founders of Herkes İçin Mimarlık (Architecture for Everyone), Yelta Köm’s solo and collective works are exhibited in various galleries, biennales, and art institutions. “All familiar, all foreign” is particularly significant as the artist’s inaugural solo exhibition in Istanbul.

“Your phone cannot meet the satellite signals; it has already lost its function. None of the images that represent the world reflects reality.”

Ulya Soley, the curator of the exhibition, earned her BA in Art History and Psychology from McGill University and her MA in Culture, Criticism, and Curating from Central Saint Martins. She has recently curated exhibitions such as “Konak Bedenler” (Hosting Bodies) at Sanatorium, “Zevk Meselesi” (A Question of Taste) at Pera Museum, and “How shall we dress for the occasion?” at 601 Artspace New York. Additionally, she has edited various artist publications. Soley’s articles, focusing on internet culture and future narratives from a queer-feminist perspective, have been published in Art agenda, Sanat Dünyamız, Argonotlar, Manifold, callingmag, The Believer Logger, Art unlimited, K24, and borderless.

“Your location cannot be found on maps. All the familiar objects are in your memory. You find yourself getting emotional about digital tools.”

“All familiar, all foreign” is currently on display at Versus Art Project in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Established in 2015 by Leyla Ünsal and Mert Ünsal, this international art gallery serves as a platform for contemporary artworks across various media, featuring both emerging and established artists. Alongside solo exhibitions by the artists they represent, the gallery hosts group exhibitions curated by the invitees and presents 5-6 distinct exhibitions annually. Among the artists showcased at the gallery are Alper Derinboğaz, Vahit Tuna, Serkan Taycan, Yusuf Murat Şen, Ömer Pekin, Metehan Özcan, Sibel Horada, and Cem A.

The gallery is housed in the Perpignani Apartment, now known as Hanif Han, in Beyoğlu, which dates back to the 19th century. Originally designed for the Perpignani Family by Antoine N. Perpignani, an architect of Italian origin, and Marko G. Langa, an architect of Greek origin, the building stands on Gazeteci Erol Dernek Street.

The exhibitions at Versus Art Project also provide an opportunity to explore the building, which has retained much of its originality.

 “This is an archaeological site for the future. Here you construct the future.”

 “All familiar, all foreign” exhibition will be on display until April 30, from Tuesday to Saturday, between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. For further details, you can visit the gallery’s website.