Aşıklı Höyük, the oldest known village in Central Anatolia, has evolved into a dialogue between art and archeology through the works of 13 Turkish native and foreign artists. The ‘Lines of Site / Kazı İzleri’ exhibition, which will open doors to visitors on Friday, February 4, 2022 at the Historical Hüsrev Kethüda Hammam in Ortaköy, can be visited until February 25.
Situated in the Gülağaç district of Aksaray in between Mount Hasan and the Melendiz River, Aşıklı Höyük is the oldest known village in Central Anatolia. With a history of 10,500 years, the Aşıklı Höyük excavation site is one where almost every stage of the transition from the hunter-gatherer period to the sedentary agrricultural life can be traced. It draws attention by being an archaeological settlement where many firsts such at the first brain surgery and the domestication of sheep and goats took place.
While there is still history to be uncovered in Aşıklı Höyük, where excavations continue for 32 years, 10,500 years of history met with art through the efforts of the Friends of Aşıklı Society, who aims to support the excavations, to ensure that the cultural heritage is embraced and protected by the local people and to increase the familiarity of the excavation site.
The Society’s ‘An Intercultural Dialogue Through Art and Archaeology Project’ is supported under the “Grant Scheme for Common Cultural Heritage: Preservation and Dialogue between Türkiye and the EU–II (CCH-II)” implemented by the T.R. Ministry of Culture and Tourism with the financial support of the European Union.
The interdisciplinary project planned and implemented together with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Dundee (UD); aims to promote Aşıklı Höyük by bringing together art, history, art history, archaeology and anthropology. Within the scope of the project, thru artefacts of artists from different countries, life in Aşıklı Höyük is presented as to pass on the important developments in human history.
Works of 13 artists from 5 different countries
The ‘Lines of Site / Kazı İzleri’ exhibition, which will open its doors to visitors on Friday February 4, 2022 at the Historical Hüsrev Kethüda Hammam in Ortaköy, includes artefacts of 13 artists from Türkiye, UK, Spain, USA and Colombia, produced in different disciplines.
The works included in the exhibition prepared under the curatorship of Fırat Arapoğlu and Gary Sangster, bear traces of the artists’ experiences at Aşıklı Höyük excavation site.
The exhibition brings together the art works of Özgül Arslan (Türkiye/UK), Eva Bosch (Catalonia/UK), Şahin Domin (Türkiye), Ahmet Rüstem Ekici (Türkiye), Leyla Emadi (Türkiye), Stephen Farthing (UK/US), Murat Germen (Türkiye), Osman Nuri İyem (Türkiye), Blanca Moreno (Colombia), Dillwyn Smith (UK), Hakan Sorar (Türkiye), Anita Taylor (UK), Emre Zeytinoğlu (Türkiye).
Ferhat Boratav: ‘We will present Aşıklı Höyük to the world’
President of the Friends of Aşıklı Society, Ferhat Boratav, mentioned the following about the project: “As the society, we are working to support Aşıklı Höyük. With this exhibition, we aim to introduce Aşıklı Höyük to those who are interested in archeology, art history, contemporary arts, and anthropology, but more importantly, to people who are not aware of a not-so-well-known period in the cultural heritage of these lands. Because Aşıklı Höyük is a place that will spark the imagination of people pondering upon the question of ‘Is another social order possible?’ and thus worth seeing and knowing about. The fact that the exhibition will tour the cities of Barcelona in Spain and Dundee in Scotland after Istanbul, will bring the ancient heritage of Aşıklı Höyük to the attention of international public audience. Our objective is to present Aşıklı Höyük to the world.”
‘A different experience’
Co-curator Fırat Arapoğlu, summarizes the exhibition as follows: “ The exhibition took form from the ongoing interaction of 13 artists from 5 countries with the Aşıklı Höyük excavation. The artworks emerged from their intellectual and artistic inquiries on Aşıklı Höyük’s history. This exhibition where works of various techniques and disciplines come together, include the artists’ international range of perspectives, coupled with their use of different media and light, and their unique research concerns. In this way, the excavation works documented through art, provide a diverse range of themes for the findings.” Bu sayede kazı çalışmaları sanat aracılığıyla belgelenerek, bulgular farklı temalarla yeniden ortaya çıkıyor
Co-curator Gary Sangster points out the following about the Project: “Although the critical methodologies of archeology and art are different, they focus on similar subjects: visuality, materiality, spatiality, time, the nature of the archive, meaning, value, the meaning of being human and how this meaning is expressed. When the history of Aşıklı Höyük and the intellectual creations of the artists came together, new forms and images emerged on the path illuminated by archaeology. I believe that the exhibition will give the audience a different experience where we will discover the history of this oldest settlement in Central Anatolia together.”
Open to visitors until February 25th
The ‘Lines of Site / Kazı İzleri” exhibition will be open to visitors until Friday, February 25, 2022 at the Historical Hüsrev Kethüda Hammam in Ortaköy, will meet its visitors in Barcelona/Spain and Dundee/Scotland after its time in Istanbul.
SEMINAR PROGRAM
In Parallel to the ‘Lines of Site / Kazı İzleri” exhibition, a series of seminars will be held between February 4th-22nd. The Art and Archaeology Project Seminar Program will be held at the Postane building in Galata, and will also be streamed live on YouTube.
‘DISCLOSURES’
Friday February 4th, 2022 / 18.00
Theme: Reimagine the past through contemporary art – the role of creativity and artistic practice in an evidence-based culture
Panelists: Eva Bosch, Dillwyn Smith, Anita Taylor
Moderator: Gary Sangster
‘IMMANENT MATERIAL’
Monday February 7th, 2022 / 18.00
Theme: How objects, artefacts, and materials stimulate artists imagination to generate form and meaning
Panelists: Şahin Domin, Leyla Emadi, Osman Nuri İyem
Moderator: Fırat Arapoğlu
‘DISCOVERY OF AŞIKLI, ITS IMPORTANCE FOR HUMAN HISTORY’
Tuesday February 15th, 2022 / 18.00
Theme: How Aşıklı excavations started, changes over time and innovations in Aşıklı
Panelists: Mihriban Özbaşaran, Güneş Duru
Moderator: Ferhat Boratav
‘SCIENCE AND ART’
18 Şubat 2022 Cuma / 18.00
Theme: Interaction of archaeology and art (science and art), what they have learned from each other, how this interaction will affect researchers and artists’ future work
How artists undertake research, and how it may differ in interesting ways from how archaeologists pursue knowledge, and why those differences are important or how the knowledge they produce may be different, yet how they may effectively interact with each other.
Panelists: Ahmet Rüstem Ekici, Murat Germen, Hakan Sorar, Melis Uzdurum, Sera Yelözer,
Moderator: Demet Güral
‘UNCOVERING THINGS’
Tuesday February 22nd, 2022 / 18.00
Tema: Attributing a new meaning to the excavation site
Panelists: Özgül Arslan, Savaş Çekiç, Emre Zeytinoğlu
Moderator: Güneş Duru
An Intercultural Dialogue Through Art and Archaeology is supported under the “Grant Scheme for Common Cultural Heritage: Preservation and Dialogue between Türkiye and the EU–II (CCH-II)” implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism with the financial support of the European Union. The “Grant Scheme for Common Cultural Heritage: Preservation and Dialogue between Türkiye and the EU–II (CCH-II)” aims at promotion and enhancement of common cultural heritage activities implemented in partnership between Turkish and EU organizations. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is responsible institution for the technical implementation of the Grant scheme Programme, while the Central Finance and Contracts Unit is the Contracting Authority.
This web page was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of The Friends of Aşıklı Society and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.