exhibition in istanbul: "art questions outrage against women"

I just returned from Istanbul where I was invited to participate in an exhibition and speakers’ panel about issues of women’s rights and safety. I was very honored to be a part of this initiative which included a symposium and art education workshops for underprivileged women in Turkey. The text above comes from the exhibition catalog introduction. On exhibit was a photographic panel of the dammi un bacio ring:

Press release: (ISTANBUL) DOGUS UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ARTS AND DESIGN OF TURKEY HAS ORGANIZED AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AND AN EXHIBITION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN ACADEMICS/ARTISTS IN ISTANBUL AND IS TEACHING ART TO WOMEN IN SHELTERS

Faculty of Arts and Design of Doğuş University of Istanbul organized an international symposium entitled “Art Questions Outrage Against Women” (9-12 March 2012) and an International Women Artists exhibition in the Kadıköy Municipality and in Doğuş University (9-30 March 2012). They have also started teaching art to women in women’s shelters.

The director of the symposium is Prof. Nazan Erkmen, Dean of the Doğuş University, Faculty of Arts and Design, (former dean of Marmara University, Faculty of Arts and Design, 2006–2012).  Important women leaders of Turkey attended: the Coordinator of Istanbul Women Leagues L.L.M., Attorney Nazan Moroğlu; renown Sumerolog writer, Muazzez İlmiye Çığ; and renown Turkish sculptor and academic of Doğuş University, Prof. Meriç Hızal, who has put her stamp on the issue of “Rage Against Women” with her monument built on site in Antalya, paying homage to women who have lost their lives in the outrage of men or their families, most of them who were from the opposite gender; Prof. Şerife Atlıhan of Marmara University, who taught peasant women in villages to weave rugs and carpets with traditional techniques and succeeded in encouraging the women to become members of a cooperative, as well as becoming the head of their families thus altering the male and female positions in the traditional Turkish family; and renown painter, Prof. Mustafa Pilevneli, a male artist whose mission was to protect women from outrage.  Naomi Muirhead, academic of Studio Art Centers International (SACI) in Florence, Italy, also gave a presentation on the issue, and participated in the exhibition with her artwork.

On the 12th of March the University organizes for the first time a symposium to protect women’s rights. The Director of the Contemporary Living Association, Prof. Dr. Aysel Çelikel, introduces “Culture and It’s Role in Preventing Outrage in the Family”; painter Su Yücel, who has been voluntarily teaching art to gypsies and peasant women all over Turkey, is giving them energy to endure life; and Prof. Devril Erbil, a renown painter, awarded with the National Medal is giving speeches on reserving the rights of Turkish women. Işıl Özgentürk, renown writer of Cumhuriyet Daily, film producer, and scenario writer is giving a presentation entitled “There is Always a New Life” and showing her film called “It is Told to the Wind”. Prof. Atlıhan will also be showing the film of DOBAG (peasant women learning textile art and their achievements), Su Yücel is showing a film about her accomplishment of teaching art to women all over Turkey. Art teaching in shelters also starts on the same day. 53 ınternatıonal women artısts joined the exhibition. Artists of Albertina, L’Aquila, Italy, and many women academic artists from different important faculties joined the exhibition.

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