İstanbul sanat sergileri

Abstract

Dünyanın başlıca metropollerinden biri olan İstanbul, kültürel hareketlerin merkezi olma özelliğini yüzyıllar boyunca korumuştur. n.Mahmud devrinde başlayan ve Abdülmecid devrinde farklı bir boyut kazanan yenilik hareketleri, sarayın İstanbul'da bulunması sebebi ile ilk etkilerini bu şehirde göstermiştir. Osmanlı devlet yapısı batik örneklerine uygun bir biçim kazanırken, saray hayatı da Avrupa saray çevrelerine ve soyluların yaşam tarzına yaklaşmaya çalışmıştır. Tüm bu yeniliklerle birlikte batıda koleksiyon merakıyla başlayan ve kısa süre sonra toplanan nesnelerin teşhir edilmesi ihtiyacından doğan sergileme fikri de Osmanlı sarayına girmiştir. Yüzyıllar boyunca koleksiyoner değerli eserlerini sergilemeyi sevmiş, sanatçı ise yarattıklarını kamunun beğenisine sunma gereksinimini her zaman duymuştur. Antik Yunan'da sanatçılar resimlerini Atina resim müzesinde, Rönesans sanatçıları ise Floransa'da Segneurie Meydanı'nda eserlerini sergilemişlerdir. Osmanlı İmparatorluğunda sergileme fikri ise oldukça gecikmiştir. Bu durumun pek çok toplumsal sebebi vardır. Bu araştırmada batılılaşma ile birlikte saray çevresinde başlayan sergi etkinliklerinin günümüze dek nasıl bir ivme kazandığım ve günümüz galericiliğinin tarihi süreci vurgulanmaya çalışılmıştır.

Istanbul, being one of the major metropolises of the World, has retained it's position as a center for cultural pursuits throughout the centuries. The reformist movements which began with the reign of Sultan Mahmud II derived a new perspective during the era of Sultan Abdülmecid. This development showed it's first effects in Istanbul which hosted the Royal Palace, hence the capital of the Empire. While the structure of the Ottoman State adjusted itself to it's Western examples, the Palace life also tried to assimilate itself to European palace royals and the lifestyle of the aristocrats. The Western interest in collecting and displaying objects of art made its way into the Ottoman Palace along with this wave of reformism. Through the ages, the collectioners loved to display their valuables, while the artists always craved for public acclaim for their work. In ancient Greece, the artist displayed his paintings at the Athens Art Museum, while the Renaissance artists showed their paintings at the Segneune Square in Florence. However, art exhibitions acquired official & organized status m the 17th century France. In 1667, Louis the 14th asked the works of the academy to be exhibited and thus the idea of an`exhıbıtıon` came into being and these works of art were put on show at the Palais RoyaL followed by the Grande Gallery at the Louvre and the Salon Carre. The number of exhibition visitors increased considerably with the openmg of the London Exhibition m 1851 for the first time, and attracted World wide interest. The Ottoman Empire also participated m this exhibition with a Turkish pavıllıon where small handcrafts, agricultural and industrial products were displayed. Despite numerous social hindrances for our delay in adopting this idea of `exhibiting`, it would be true to say that small-scale collecting began with the Ottoman Sultans. The `Ottoman Sultans' Portrait Album` which was also known as the `Fatih Album`, the porcelain collections of Yavuz Sultan Selim and Kanuni Sultan Süleyman (Suleiman the Magmficient) and Abdülhamit IPs `Yıldız` porcelain collections depict a healthy interest m collecting art. However, when examined closely, it is evident that all of this interest m collecting works of art developed around the Sultan and the royal family. The notion of putting together a collection of pamtings which came about during the Westernization attempts, would also have been realized by the Palace. The ongoing art & painting classes at the military & public schools were also supported by the Palace and a great number of paintings were bought by the Palace itself. The core of `Istanbul Museum of Painting & Sculpture` which was formed m 1937, had consisted of these pamtings which had accumulated during the latter periodof the Empire. The `Elvah-ı Nakşiye` collection which was to be put on display at the Müze-i Hümayun (The Imperial Museum) was formed through an extra allowance of one thousand Liras incorporated mto the museum budget between 1910-1014, is also a part of this `core`. Many works of art from the museums of Pans, Berlin, Munich, Vienna and Madnt were copied m numbers and many Turkish artiste' works of art were bought. This collection which was partly exhibited at the Istanbul Museum of Painting & Sculpture m May 1994, consists of 141 pieces. Unfortunately, not all of these works of art were preserved for posterity. Yet another important collection for Istanbul. Museum of Painting & Sculpture is the `Walker Collection` which was acquired by the museum m 1974. The collection, which consists of 74 pieces, has mostly examples from 18th & 19th century Flemish painting, as well as works from distinguished artists such as J. Vernet and İ. Repin. The first of Palace initiated exhibitions m Istanbul is dated December 28, 1845. According to a document found m the Hazine-i Evrak (Treasury Archives), an Austrian painter named Oreker displayed his works, which were presented 1» the Sultan at the Çırağan Palace through the Austrian Embassy. Following this exhibition, and especially during the 1870's, many more exhibitions took place with short intervals, and it is evident from the newspapers of that era that these attempts were not exclusive to the Palace, and that the public also benefited from them. Though not a true exhibition, we need to mention Sergi-i Osmani due to it's distinction of being the first open-to-pubhc display. This exhibition which opened on February 20, 1863 consisted of various objects ranging from agricultural to industrial products, and from jewellery to items belonging to the Palace Treasures. We learn from the period's newspapers Ceride-i Havadis and Tercüman-i Ahval that a separate pavilhon called `Sanayi Nefise` (Fine Arts) had also been incorporated m the fair. The most interesting information derived from this occasion is that m Sultanahmet Square a temporary building had been erected solely for the exhibition, only to be demolished after the event. The most prominent indicators of the painting classes applied m the military & public schools during the 19th century have always been painting exhibitions. As was examined m Professor Mustafa Cezar's bulletin `The first Painting Exhibition m Turkey`, which was presented at the first Congress of Osman Hamdı Bey, this exhibition held on July 14, 1849 was one of the most important cultural events of the era. Harbiye ve Maçka Askeri İdadisi Resim Sergisi (Harbiye & Maçka Military High School Painting Exhibition) which was held in a salon at Harb Okulu (Military College) consisted of works of many painters from military ranks. When compared to the 1845 exhibition which was confined to the Palace, historically, this was the first painting exhibition ever. vnBetween 1871 - 1873, the group exhibitions held at the building of Darülfünun (University) of the works of graduate students from Darülmuallimat (Teaching School), and İnas Rüşdiyeleri (Girls' High School) consisting of works of calligraphy, embroidery and paintings may be mentioned. Alongside these educational institutions, it is also possible to refer to a privately funded painting academy formed at a date as early as 1874 and aptly named `Akademie`. This painting atelier where few Turkish but mostly foreign students attended, was formed by painter Guillemet at Beyoğlu (The Pera) Hammalbaşı Sokak, number 60 in Istanbul. This painting academy's student works exhibition held in 1 876 was handled in detail by the paper of the period `La Turquie`. During this era, painting exhibitions were held in well-known shops in Beyoğlu (The Pera) such as Uhlmann-Grombach, Angelidis, and at private painting ateliers run by foreigners and non-Muslim folk. As of the latter part of the 19th century, the exhibitions formed by schools and the ensuing press coverage helped boost the artistic life of the times. However, two important exhibitions held as a result of elaborate organizations m 1873 & 1875 are definite indicators that an artistic medium was finally present. The painting exhibition opened with painstaking efforts by Kolağası (major) Ahmet Ali Efendi at the Sultanahmet Sanat Okulu (Sultanahmet Arts School) where he also was the painting instructor, is a very important milestone for Turkish arts. The exhibition, which opened on February 1873 hosted the works of the students of Ahmet Ali Efendi, as well as Sait Efendi, Mesut Bey, Afi Bey, Madame & Messieurs Guillemet and many more artists. After the opening of the exhibition, the royal visits by the Grand Vizier, the Prince Yusuf and many more official dignitaries created massive press coverage and public interest. After the satisfactory results of the first exhibition, preparations for a second one began. This exhibition, again was organized & opened by Ahmet Ali Efendi in a salon at the Darülfünun (the University) on July 1, 1875. The newspaper, La Turquie gave extensive coverage about the event. Along with many Western, levantine and minority citizen painters, a group of 30 Turkish artists including Ahmet Ali, Ahmet Bedri, Halil Paşa, Osman Hamdi, and Nuri Bey also participated in the exhibition. These important endeavors in exhibiting by Şeker (`sugar`-a pseudo affectionate name for Ahmet Ali Paşa) Ahmet Paşa not only highlighted artistic debates, but also grouped artists together. It is probable that the artists' club Elifba (`Alphabet` in Arabic) was formed due to the need for the artists to have a place of their own. The club, which was formed by a Greek expatriot named Mavrodata and with the help of the British Colony, made noteworthy contributions to the developing artistic life in Istanbul through the exhibitions which were participated mainly by the minority citizens & foreigners. The first ever exhibition organized by the club was on September 1880 at the Tarabya Greek School for Girls. Among the participants were prominent artiste such as Osman Hamdi, Princess Nazh, water color artist Preziosi and son Faraetti, and architect Vallauri.The second event in April 8, 1881, took place in the pavilion housed within the Municipality building in Tepebaşı which was a more convenient venue compared to the previous one. On this occasion, artists such as Osman Hamdi, Ahmet Ali, Süleyman Seyid, Mahmud and many non-Muslim artists joined in. In addition, several other painting exhibitions in Istanbul took place between 1882 - 1883 which are also important for our artistic environment. The first is Carmona (Caruana)'s painting exhibition, and the other is the Italian Vax Sculptures Exhibition which opened opposite the Beyoğlu Büyük Lüksemburg Oteli (The Grand Hotel Luxembourg of Pera). The renowned Abdullah Biraderlerin Fotoğrafhanesi (Brothers Abdoullah Photography Studio) from the period of Sultan Abdulaziz and Abdulhamit II, is also considerably important in being the venue for exhibiting the works of Osman Hamdi and Sarkis Dranyan. The long lasting tradition of exhibitions began with the opening of Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi(The School of Fine Arts) on March 3, 1883. We learn from the period newspapers & magazines that as of 1885, exhibiting art school students' works traditionally at the end of the year became a regular event. In 1900, the most prominent artistic event in Istanbul was Şeker Ahmet Paşa (Ahmet Ali Pasha)'s private painting exhibition at the Pera Palas. This exhibition, where the artist stood out as an individual, is a clear indicator of the rapid change in our artistic environment. In addition, and though the dates are not known, it is believed that Şeker Ahmet Paşa at his mansion in Mercan, and Hoca Ali Rıza at the ferry port in Üsküdar staged private exhibitions respectively, for their works. Artists' efforts to form a club venue in Istanbul began with the formation of club Elifba in 1880. Architect Vallauri and the editor of the paper La Stamboul, Regis Delbef initiated work to revive this effort This venue which would provide the artists a meeting place was to be named `The First Salon of Istanbul`. Members of this club held an exhibition in 1901 at a mansion in the Passage Oriental in PeraÇBeyoğlu) consisting of paintings & sculpture. Other than Turkish artists such as Osman Hamdi Bey, Ahmet Ali Pasha and Halil Pasha, prominent names of the times like Zonaro and Leonardo de Mango's works were also displayed. The same club organized exhibitions in 1902 & 1903. Artists' grouping gained a more institutionalized dimension following the salon exhibitions. Formation of the Ottoman Painters Society in 1908, became the start of the Galatasaray Exhibitions which was influential for years to come. The society, which grew stronger with the support from returning artists such as Hüseyin Avni Lifij, RubiArel, Sami Yetik, Namık Ismail, Feyhaman Duran, Hikmet Onat and Şevket Dağ, organized the first Galatasaray Exhibition in 1916. These events which were organized for 36 years between 1916 - 1952, were known as the `Galatasaray Exhibitions`. These exhibitions were organized by the Ottoman Painters Society(Osmanh Ressamlar Derneği) between 1916 - 1921, by Union of Turkish Fine Arts(Türk Sanayi-i Nefise Birliği) between 1921 - 1929, and by the Union of Fine Arts(Güzel Sanatlar Birliği) since 1929. Many of the exhibitions held at Galatasaray actually took place in their mess hall. IXA painting atelier designed to make war paitings, founded at the Şişli district of İstanbul during the WWI, was the forerunner of a different type of exhibitions. With Celal Esat Arseven's contributions, a large wooden atelier was built on the Tatavla Hills of Beyoğlu. To model for the paintings, a battalion of infantrymen, cannons & gun carts were provided. This is how Celal Esat Arseven depicted this unique scene; `Painters like Çallı İbrahim, Feyhaman, Namık İsmail, Hikmet Onat, Sami Yetik and Ali Sami took their places by their easels on each corner of this glass-top hangar-like construction. This union of artists and the noble national cause had given them the will to work. With soldiers on one corner, and guns & cannons on the other, the place had begun to resemble the famous war painter Edouard Detaille's workshop. This was a bounty for our painters. They worked under lamp light at nights, not leaving their work even for food. Food was coming in from the restaurants.`.In 1918, the exhibition formed by the paintings of this common theme was at first put on show in Galatasaray Dormitories, and then in Vienna & Berlin. In 1923, as the established institutions were re-organized with the formation of the Republic, the artistic life also began a new period. The artistic movement which at first began in İstanbul, was now shining to Ankara, the new State Capital. In 1929, as an alternative to The Union Of Fine Arts, a group of artiste returning home from education abroad during the early years of the Republic, organized exhibitions at the Ankara Museum of Ethnography and at the İstanbul Cağaloğlu Turkish Guild. The artists which took part in this event, which was named the First Young Painters Exhibition, later formed the Independent Painters & Sculptors Union(Genç Ressamlar & Heykeltraşlar Derneği). The exhibitions organized by this group in İstanbul & Ankara at various dates, continued until 1940. İn 1932, exhibitions were held in Public Houses(Halkevleri-a State sponsored cultural activity)established at various locations around tile country, primarily in İstanbul & Ankara. The Exhibition of the Revolution(İnkilap Sergisi) which was also a part of the tenth anniversary celebrations of the new Republic in 1933, and the State Painting & Sculpture Exhibitions(Devlet Resim ve Heykel Sergileri) in 1939 are among the state-sponsored exhibitions. Along with tiie exhibitions which were held at official locations such as the Galatasaray High School, various Consulates, Academy of Fine Arte and the Public Houses at the beginning, as of 1950's art galleries which are private exhibitions also began to make their impact on the art life. The first of the art galleries which helped establish a commercial aspect to the artistic productions in our country, was formed in 1947 by the renowned ceramicist İsmail Hakkı Oygar. Works of important artists of the era Feyhaman Duran, Hale Asaf and Namık İsmail were displayed at this gallery in Beyoğlu. Following the closure of this venue in 1940, the Maya Gallery opened in 1950 with help from Adalet Cimcoz in a two-room apartment flat at Beyoğlu Kallavi Sokağı, no:60. The gallery, which displayed paintings & sculpture, as ell as ceramics works, photography and cartoon drawings, managed to survive until 1955.Following the Maya Gallery which played an important role in establishing professionalism in art galleries in our country, Kuyucu Murat Pasha Gallery, Galeri 1 formed by Mefkure Şerbetçi, which was influential between 1969 - 1971, Küçük Galeri by Fethi Karakaş and the gallery founded by Melda Kaptana are some of the private Istanbul art galleries. Aside from all the other galleries, Darüşşafaka Gallery which belonged to the Darüşşafaka(İstanbul School for Orphans), the State galleries and the City Galleries have all become exhibition venues for Istanbul. According to the 1994 Report for Plastic Arts issued by the International Society for Plastic Arte, two-thirds of all art exhibition venues in the country are located in Istanbul. The same report states that of the total 195 art galleries, 1 14 belongs to individuals & corporate bodies and 26 are owned by private banks' galleries. The remainder are owned by the State, the local authorities and various other institutions.