‘Velvet Stare’ exhibition opens at Arter

ISTANBUL

Nilbar Güreş’s first institutional solo exhibition in Türkiye, “Velvet Stare,” has opened at the second-floor gallery of Arter. Curated by Emre Baykal, the show presents a comprehensive selection ranging from the artist’s early works to her most recent productions.

The exhibition delves into Güreş’s practice, which blurs the boundaries between humans and non-humans, reality and fiction, representation and abstraction. Encompassing painting, engraving, collage, photography, sculpture and video, it opens a broad window onto more than 25 years of artistic production.

Blending storytelling with critical and dissenting narratives, Güreş creates a vibrant universe where humans, animals, plants and mythological elements intertwine through ever-shifting connections. Infused with a strong capacity for generating new vocabularies that challenge gender norms, her works subvert binary and polarizing structures shaping our understanding of the world. By undermining established patterns of thought, the artist invites viewers to explore alternative modes of coexistence.

“Velvet Stare” also highlights the plurality in Güreş’s approach: sometimes revisiting a single idea across different media, other times integrating multiple media within a single work. This versatility not only shapes the formal qualities of her practice but also reflects the multilayered nature of her core themes, such as the intermingling of species, hybridity of forms and resistance against marginalization.

Speaking at the exhibition preview, Güreş stated that the show spans a long period, including works from her student years as well as pandemic paintings.

“During the pandemic, for the first time in over 20 years, I painted again. Those paintings came out very natural and naive. Everything lost or missed seems to be in this exhibition. I think it is a useful exhibition to grasp my practice in general,” she said.

Curator Baykal described working with Güreş as inspiring and instructive. “While preparing for the exhibition, we revisited more than 25 years of uninterrupted and extraordinarily rich production. Alongside a holistic view of her practice, we tried to capture a thematic flow and narrative,” he said.

He also noted that the exhibition takes its title from one of Güreş’s works and brings together engravings she produced as a student in the late 1990s, which are shown for the first time, alongside new works created specifically for this show.

The exhibition is accompanied by a publication designed by Didem Uraler Çelik, featuring texts by Emre Baykal, Silvia Eiblmayr and Lora Sarıaslan.

“Velvet Stare” will remain on view at Arter until April 12, 2026.