Exhibition

Akbank 41st Contemporary Artists Prize Exhibition

Exhibition
Akbank 41st Contemporary Artists Prize Exhibition

Akbank 41st Contemporary Artists Prize Exhibition, organized in cooperation with the Painting and Sculpture Museums Association and Akbank Sanat, in order to support developments in the field of contemporary art and support young artists, will be held at Akbank Sanat between 14 September - 4 November 2023. The works of 19 artists selected as a result of the evaluations of the jury members, will be on display for art enthusiasts to enjoy.

Artists
Nazif Can Akçalı, Melike Şevval Akın, Cemil Arslan, Şener Yılmaz Aslan, Mustafa Yasin Aydoğan, Nur Bardakçı, Uğur Bişirici, Ahmet Dündar, Hüseyin Güler, Şeyma Güzelaydın, Yazı Ece Köz, Can Memişoğulları, Nazan Özaras, Okay Özkan, Monica Papi, Defne Parman, Fatih Umdu, Deniz Varlı, Ece Yazıcıgil

Curator
Ferhat Özgür

Jury Members
Derya Bigalı
Hakan Çarmıklı
Cevdet Erek
Gönül Nuhoğlu
Ferhat Özgür


CONATUS

“Conatus”, a concept developed by Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) in the third book of his “Ethica”, completed in the mid-17th century, points towards several aspects. Originally related to self-preservation, persisting, and strengthening of one’s existence, as well as actions that direct us towards functionality, Conatus indicates one’s persistence and effort to exist and survive in the best way possible, along with an ethics of self-realization. Conatus is a principle that governs one’s drives, inclinations, and emotional life, requiring one to relinquish certain behaviors to achieve freedom and happiness. “I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them”, said Spinoza in “Tractatus Politicus” (1677). According to him, beings can thrive to the extent of their creativity. The more a being strives for existence, the stronger its desire to survive. Conatus is thus a concept which lies at the heart of all these endeavors, highlighting the effort put into fulfilling any action, as well as rigor, constant work, and creativity. It encompasses mental autonomy and an eternal flow. Conatus is a shield protecting our existence from external impacts throughout the ups and downs of our lives; it appears as the hope without which we cannot survive.

Isn’t art a form of Conatus inasmuch as it involves holding onto life? The exhibition “Contemporary Artists” ponders the relationship between art and philosophy, paying homage to Spinoza, one of the most radical philosophers in the history of thought. It does so by considering art- an indispensable part of life- as Conatus. The exhibition invites artists to develop their subjective interpretations of this approach.

Ferhat Özgür

Curator


References

Alev AKSÜNGER, Mevlüt ALBAYRAK, “Spinoza Felsefesinde “Conatus” Kavramı”, https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2048428

Berk Utkan Atbakan, “Spinoza’da Modus ve Conatus Kavramları Bağlamında Sevinç ve Kader Sorunu”, Istanbul University Institute of Social Science, Department of Philosophy, (Unpublished Master’s Thesis), 2012

Gilles Deleuze, “Spinoza: Pratik Felsefe”, (Çev.Ulus Baker), Norgunk Editorial, Istanbul, 2005.

Steven Nadler, “Spinoza: Bir Yaşam”, (Translated by Anıl Duman-Murat Başekim), İletişim Editorial, Istanbul, 2008.


14 September - 4 November 2023

Akbank Sanat

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18 SEP MON
-
19 SEP TUE
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20 SEP WED
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21 SEP THU
1

18:30

Conversation Akbank 41st Contemporary Artists Prize Exhibition Exhibition Talks: "Spinoza'ya Saygı"

Akbank Sanat

22 SEP FRI
-
23 SEP SAT
1

20:30

Concert Mercan Dede Live DJ Set with Secret Tribe

Müze Gazhane

24 SEP SUN
3

11:00

Concert Yarkın Duo (Nağme Yarkın & Baturay Yarkın)

Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi

14:00

Conversation fugamundi x Mert Pekduraner Jazz Listening Club

Bant Mag. Havuz / Bina

19:00

Workshop Jazz-hop Junction: Beatmaking Workshop with Da Poet

Kolektif House Moda

25 SEP MON
1

21:00

Concert Al Di Meola

AKM Theatre Hall

26 SEP TUE
2

19:00

Concert Kâmil Özler Trio & Yasemin Özler

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Sub-Rehavi

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

27 SEP WED
4

19:00

Concert Yumi Ito

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Neşet Ruacan, Cem Tuncer, Yarkın Tuncer

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

20:30

Concert Mert Pekduraner

Çevre Tiyatrosu / Semaver Kumpanya

22:00

Concert KAM x Yasemin Mori

Bova

28 SEP THU
2

18:30

Concert Onur Çalışkan

CoBAC Workspace Terrace Garden

21:00

Concert All Night Jazz: BOSQ, Zeynep Erbay, Recep Şencan

Frankhan

29 SEP FRI
2

20:30

Concert Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective with Turtle Island Quartet

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Ayyuka

Babylon

30 SEP SAT
6

11:00

Workshop Wild Child Orchestra

Akbank Sanat

16:00

Conversation Turkey Jazz Network: Understanding the Venue through Music

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

19:00

Concert Hend

North Studio

20:00

Conversation Continents of Jazz

Outro Record Store

22:00

Concert Gabi Hartmann

Babylon

22:00

Concert LoftCaz Record Selection

Outro Record Store

01 OCT SUN
2

18:30

Concert İdil Naz Dönmez & Rüzgar Yıldırım

Alan Kadıköy Amphitheater

20:30

Concert Ozan Musluoğlu Quartet ft. Kerem Görsev

Alan Kadıköy

02 OCT MON
1

20:30

Concert Lakecia Benjamin “Phoenix”

Ses Tiyatrosu

03 OCT TUE
3

19:00

Concert Wayne Shorter Tribute Night

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Şevket Akıncı, Mehmet Korkmaz, İlhami Tunç Gençer

Arter

20:30

Concert Sissoko / Segal / Parisien / Peirani “Les Egarés”

Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall

04 OCT WED
3

19:00

Concert Zoe Rahman Trio "Colour of Sound"

Akbank Sanat

21:30

Concert Immanuel Wilkins Trio

Babylon

21:30

Concert Tribute to Ella & Louis

Nardis Jazz Club

05 OCT THU
2

19:00

Concert Bulut Gülen “Bosphorus Train”

Akbank Sanat

21:30

Concert Hidden Orchestra

Babylon

06 OCT FRI
2

20:30

Concert Ladies and New Standards

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Mehmet Uluğ Tribute Night: İlhan Erşahin & Friends

Babylon

07 OCT SAT
4

11:00

Workshop Wild Child Orchestra

Akbank Sanat

15:00

Conversation Afro-Cuban Jazz: Past and Present

Akbank Sanat

20:30

Concert Tord Gustavsen Trio

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Erik Truffaz "Rollin’ & Clap!"

Babylon

08 OCT SUN
3

11:30

Concert Cazlı Brunch

Serenita, SES Eşitlik ve Dayanışma Derneği Lokali

16:00

Concert Alara Tütüncü Duo

MSGSÜ Tophane-i Amire Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi

19:00

Concert Seçil Akmirza & Alp Ersönmez Band

Bizim Tepe

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