Koman Foundation's 2005 Activities

Koman exhibition at Atatürk Airport
during 2005 Istanbul Biennale

(Ataturk airport)

In partnership with TAV, ‘To Infinity…’ aluminium sculpture (the original prototype made by Koman in Stockholm in 1986) was on exhibit in Atatürk Istanbul International Airport entrance hall during the 9th International Istanbul Biennial 2005.

It has been seen by several millions passengers.

'Ilhan Koman, artist a l'air libre'
international symposium

(Ahmet Koman, Cetin Kanra
& Françoise Ribeyrolles-Marcus)

During the ‘Ilhan Koman: Retrospective’, the Consulate General of Sweden has hosted an international symposium inviting experts, former colleagues and friends of Ilhan Koman from Turkey, Sweden, France and Italy.

Speakers included:

Yasar Kemal (Turkey)
Writer and close friend of Ilhan Koman who he lived in Paris with.

Cetin Kanra (Turkey/Sweden)
Close friend & colleague of Ilhan Koman, presently renowned architect in Stockholm.
Presentation on Ilhan Koman’s researches & artworks within the urban planning perspective. Notes on Ilhan Koman personal life & personality.

Françoise Ribeyrolles-Marcus (France/Sweden)
Artist, co-author, with Ilhan Koman, of an article on Koman artistic, scientific & philosophical approaches.

Barbro Hedström (Sweden)
Life model of ‘Akdeniz’ (‘Mediterranean’) sculpture, former Ilhan Koman’s student, then life long assistant & friend, presently sculptor, author of numerous public artworks in Stockholm. Presentation on her ’Akdeniz experience’. Presentation of Ilhan Koman researches on new shapes & works on monumental statues. Notes on Ilhan Koman personal life & personality as an art teacher at Stockholm Fine Art School.

Marco Veschetti (Italy/Sweden)
Former Ilhan Koman‘s students, then 1st assistant life long & close friend, presently sculptors in Sweden. Presentation on Ilhan Koman work & research evolution on a technical and day-to-day base. Notes on Ilhan Koman personal life & personality as an art teacher at Stockholm Fine Art School.

Melda Kaptana (Turkey)
Former Ilhan Koman’s wife, former art gallery owner, presently writer in Istanbul. Presentation of Ilhan Koman’s early personal life & career in Turkey and in France as well as Ilhan Koman life long relationship with Turkish art world. Notes on Ilhan Koman personal life & personality.

Nilüfer Ergin (Turkey)
Head of the Marmara University Sculpture Department. Specialist in art in public space. Analysis of the contribution of Koman’s work in the emergence of Turkish street modern art.

Ahmet Koman (Turkey)
Elder son of Ilhan Koman, Koman Foundation president, presently university professor in Istanbul. Presentation on the posthumous work done around Ilhan Koman’s artistic, social & scientific heritage, including the Koman Foundation activities.

This symposium was sponsored by the Istanbul Consulate General of Sweden, the French Institute, the Italian Institute and CNN-Türk. CNN-Türk has recorded all discussions and broadcasted extracts of them within its national TV programs.

‘Ilhan Koman: Retrospective’
Istanbul exhibition

(retrospective poster)

The first major Retrospective exhibition of Ilhan Koman’s works in Turkey occurred from the 1st of May 2005 until the 30th of June 2005 along the Istiklal Promenade in Istanbul.

1. Koman’s 100 major artworks were exhibited in the main gallery of the Yapi Kredi Cultural Centre (in Galatasaray). A second gallery at the Centre hosted a reconstitution of Koman’s workshop including his tools and personal belongings, as well as many documents presenting his life and work. A special space was dedicated to Hulda, the sailing boat on which Koman used to live and work in Stockholm.

2. At the French Institute (in Taksim), Koman’s 50 artworks created in France and Belgium were shown in an exhibition including photos representing Ilhan Koman’s life and work by Ara Güler, Günes Karabuda, Willy Maywald, Tayfun Tuncelli and Sabine Weiss.

3. At the Swedish Consulate (in Tünel), 10 of Koman’s iron sculptures were exhibited in the consulate’s gardens facing the Istiklal Street.

The Swedish Consulate also hosted, beginning of June 2005, a symposium on ‘Ilhan Koman: artist à l’air libre’ inviting speakers, media and public from Turkey and from the European Union.

This first major exhibition of Koman's works have attracted over 120 000 visitors and was said to have been the most visited one-person exhibition of Turkish history.