Workshop exhibition opens at AKM
ISTANBUL
The exhibition of works produced as part of the fourth Arnica Art Land workshop opened at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) Gallery in Istanbul.
Bringing together artistic production from various disciplines, the exhibition features work created during a workshop held in June 2025 at the ancient city of Aizanoi in the Çavdarhisar district of Kütahya.
Curated by Fırat Neziroğlu, the show presents 41 works by 21 artists and will run through April 19.
Senur Akın Biçer, founder of the Arnica Art Land workshop and chair of its advisory board, told state-run Anadolu Agency that art lies at the heart of everything.
“My late father used to work with a painter and a sculptor to shape the form of products. After his passing in 2011, I had to take over the company. As a second-generation leader, I decided to focus on branding and chose art as our language of communication,” she said.
Biçer noted that the workshop was first held in Mersin for two years before expanding to different cities under the motto “Let’s explore Anatolia.”
“It became an event that we embarked on as a tribute to my father, a way of expressing our gratitude through art. For the third workshop, we went to Bayburt and focused on its local and cultural aspects. Art is not absent there; in fact, all of Anatolia is infused with art,” she said.
She added that the fourth workshop took place at the ancient city of Aizanoi, where artists produced works around the Temple of Zeus and the site believed to host the world’s first stock exchange. Despite ongoing archaeological excavations, the artists were able to create their works in mutual respect for both the site and its history.
Highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of the workshop, Biçer said: “We did two things that are rarely seen in art. One was a live canvas, where we painted a human body. The other was using sound as a sculpture. One artist researched the site, gathered information from the excavation head and created a fairy tale, which we now listen to from an old radio — turning sound into sculpture.”
Curator Neziroğlu said they collaborate with different artists each year and emphasized the significance of Aizanoi, home to a major Temple of Zeus.
“Twenty-one artists stayed and worked for a week in and around the temple. This is truly an experience every artist should try at least once in their lifetime. While workshops are usually dominated by oil painting, we brought together artists and practices that are rarely included within the plastic arts. A unique artistic language has emerged,” he said.
Neziroğlu added that the exhibition design was inspired by the texture of the ancient city, particularly its columns.
AKM Art Director Remzi Buharalı stated the importance of carrying the traces of civilizations in Anatolia beyond their original locations and into new spaces.
He noted that the exhibition goes beyond simply observing the remains of the Temple of Zeus on-site, instead presenting this heritage in a more visible and impactful way through painting.
Buharalı also highlighted the importance of spreading art beyond major urban centers into Anatolia and bringing that accumulated cultural richness back to central venues, adding that AKM is pleased to host the artists.
About Arnica Art Land
Last year’s workshop, held under the theme “Art Flowing Back to Its Roots from Cybele to Aba Sultan,” invited audiences on an intellectual journey between past and present, drawing inspiration from the history of Aizanoi.
The Arnica Art Land project was launched in memory of businessman Hasan Akın and has previously been held in Mersin’s Borcak Plateau, the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum in Bayburt and most recently at Aizanoi.
Each year, the project brings together different artistic disciplines on a shared platform while tracing the deep-rooted cultures of Anatolia. Through exhibitions, it continues to share locally inspired artistic production with wider audiences, with the works set to travel to different cities.