The exhibition "In the Shadow of the Chaotic City: Landscape", which explores the multifaceted relationship between nature, human existence, and culture, opened on June 20, 2025, at the Atatürk Cultural Center Gallery (AKM Gallery). Focusing on the individual’s search for meaning within the chaos of urban life, the exhibition offers a renewed perspective on the concept of “landscape” in contemporary Turkish art, through cultural and abstract reinterpretations.
Among the participating artists is Ahmet Özel, Assistant Professor at the Department of Graphic Design, Istanbul Gelişim University Faculty of Fine Arts. Özel’s artistic approach to the nature-culture-human relationship invites viewers to question the alienation caused by urban living and to reflect on mystical reconnections with nature.
Curated by artist and academic Füsun Çağlayan, the exhibition brings together works by notable artists who began producing art in the 1990s. The selected artworks range from abstraction influenced by Western modernism to post-impressionist techniques, depicting the human quest for existence within the broader context of landscape and cultural identity.
Rather than viewing landscape as a mere visual representation, the exhibition presents it as a complex space for cultural and existential inquiry. Utilizing both traditional techniques and multimedia practices, the participating artists trace new paths of engagement with nature, shaped by the contemporary cultural environment and current art historical discourse.
We extend our sincere thanks to Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özel for proudly representing Istanbul Gelişim University in this significant exhibition. We wish him continued success in his academic and artistic endeavors.
"In the Shadow of the Chaotic City: Landscape" can be visited at AKM Gallery daily from 10:00 to 20:00 until July 5, 2025.
