Galeri Siyah Beyaz has opened the new art season with “Lend Me Your Heart,” a solo exhibition by one of the distinctive figures of contemporary Turkish painting, Ali Kotan. The exhibition aims to transform the viewer from a passive observer into an active participant, not only the one who looks, but also the one who is looked at.
M. FERHAT YÜKSEL
As the first exhibition of the new season at Galeri Siyah Beyaz, “Lend Me Your Heart” invites reflection on the meaning of seeing in an era when time passes swiftly and the digital world isolates the individual. The exhibition highlights the reciprocal relationship between the artist, the artwork, the viewer, and the space, inviting contemplation on the act of seeing and being seen.
In Kotan’s works, the image of the eye emerges as a prominent metaphor. The eye represents the intersection of the inner and outer worlds, where both seeing and being seen occur. Through this visual language, Kotan positions the audience not merely as viewers but also as subjects of observation, fostering an interactive and introspective experience.
Kotan emphasizes that creation is not a one-way process but rather a shared sensory experience: “This place does not belong only to my heart, nor to my eyes alone. Come closer, this belongs to all of us. Even if I present it, it exists through you, through your eyes.”
Ali Kotan’s exhibition “Lend Me Your Heart” will be on view at Galeri Siyah Beyaz until November 15, open daily except Sundays from 11:00 to 19:00.
