Koman Exhibition at Istanbul Galeri Nev
(catalogue cover)
17 years ago, in 1990, Galeri
Nev was exhibiting for the 1st time Koman’s limited series
of bronze artworks. In 2006-2007 the gallery presented new bronze artwork
copies, as well as 4 of the best iron sculptures of Ilhan Koman.
The 16 presented bronze pieces were studies originally made in clay
by Koman in Paris in 1978, while he was working on the costumes, masks
and stage design of a Dario
Fo (Nobel Prize in Literature 1997) theatre play (‘L’Enterrement
du Patron’ / ‘Funerals of the Boss’), directed by
Mehmet Ulusoy at the Theatre de la Liberte in the Halles (Paris –
France). Turkish artist Abidin Dino wrote an interesting analytical
text about these artworks in 1997.
Series of these clays were posthumously cast in limited edition of 10
items, in Pietrasanta (Tuscany - Italy) in 1997, thanks to Kerstin Koman,
Ilhan Koman’s 2nd wife, and thanks to the team of Galeri Nev.
In 2005, the Koman Foundation made some other casts of other sculptures
from these series in Istanbul. Some of these limited editions are currently
on sale.
The 4 iron pieces that were also exhibited during this exhibition had
been created by Koman between 1961 and 1964, during the period of his
life that he used to call his ‘iron age’. French art critic
Pierre Gueguen refers to these artworks in a dramatic article published
in the revue ‘Aujourd’hui: art et architecture’, No:
31, May 1961.
This Galeri Nev’s Koman exhibition took place in Istanbul from
the 8th of December 2006 until the 6th of January 2007. Melis Terzioglu
has assumed most of this exhibition production tasks.
Koman’s art illustrates
‘Nublu Orchestra’
new record
(CD cover)
Ilhan Koman’s art illustrates Nublu Orchestra new record conducted
by Lawrence D. "Butch"
Morris in New York (USA) 2006.
The artworks chosen for the cover and the booklet of the CD and LP versions
of this record were part of Koman’s 'Pi Series'. Photos were taken
by Turkish-Swedish-American musician Ilhan Ersahin, member of the Nublu
Orchestra and founder of the Nublu record label in New York, while these
artworks were on exhibit, in Yapi Kredi Gallery, in 2005, in Istanbul.
Butch Morris is a renowned American conductor of contemporary and experimental
musics. In this record, Morris uses his unique technique of ‘improvised
conduction’ with musicians Ilhan Ersahin, Sylvia Gordon,
Didi Gutman, Jonathon Haffner, Graham Haynes, Eddie Henderson, Aaron
Johnston, Daniel Jodocy, Michael Kiaer, Kirk Knuffke, Jesse Murphy,
Derek Nievergelt, Mauro Refosco, Sabina Sciubba, Chantal Ughi, Kenny
Wollesen, Doug Wieselman and Zeke Zima.
CD - NUB00011
Press Release extract:
With this recording nublu, in its fourth year as an alternative
music venue here on New York City's Lower East Side presents its eponymous
orchestra under the ubiquitous baton of renowned conductionist Lawrence
d. "Butch" Morris.
Known for his method of composing in real time through a system of signals
of his invention that allows him to organize a vocabulary of sound and
rhythm coaxed extemporaneously from an orchestra into coherent compositions
as they are imparted (much like skywriting, where puffs of seemingly
indiscriminate smoke become language under the amazed eye, or action
painting), Mr.Morris herein directs a protean assembly culled from the
personnel of various nublu repertory bands such as Wax Poetic, Love
Trio, Kudu and Brazilian Girls.
What ensues is a genre-bending landscape of collaborative composition
that at times brings to mind the free jazz collaborations of Ornette
Coleman and Eric Dolphy, while at others that electronic music of Oliver
Messien or Scriabin Seasoned with more than a hint of funk. Imagine
all the serialists under one tent with George Russell.
–John Farris, NYC
'Istanbul By Its Children' project
(IBIC poster)
In 2005, one hundred 7-12 year old children living in Istanbul and coming
from very varied socio-cultural backgrounds took photographs that depict
their life and their living areas.
An exhibition of these pictures taken with disposable cameras toured
to 8 cities in France (Angouleme, Paris, Savonnieres), Germany (Berlin),
Italy (Seravezza), Portugal (Caldas da Rainha) and Sweden (onboard of
Hulda sailing boat in Stockholm and in Drottningholm) during 2006.
'Istanbul By Its Children' (IBIC) project was a continuation of Koman
Foundation’s ‘Art For Our Town’ (AFOT) 1st children
project, in 2005. IBIC initiated a 3rd children project called ‘In
European Children Eyes' (ECE).
This project was coordinated by the Ilhan Koman Foundation; it involved
a wide network of partners both in Turkey and in the EU and was sponsored
by the European Commission and Turkish Airlines.
IBIC project's
website
‘In European Children Eyes'
project
(ECE poster)
200 young residents of the EU venues where the IBIC exhibition toured,
including Turkish children living in such cities as Berlin, Paris or
Stockholm also made their own photographs to respond to the initiative
of Istanbul children.
During autumn 2006, a selection of these works from Turkey and from
these 5 EU countries have been exhibited all together outdoor along
the most popular promenade of Turkey (‘Istiklal’ / ‘the
Avenue of the Independence’), as part of the IFSAK 2006 1st International
Photo Biennial.
The Koman Foundation edited and published a 218-page quadri-chrome catalogue
about the IBIC project (ISBN: 9944-5151-0-8) available on request from
the Koman Foundation.
‘In European Children Eyes' (ECE) project was coordinated by the
Ilhan Koman and was sponsored by the European Commission, the European
Cultural Foundation & Turkish Airlines.
ECE project's website
Presentation of Koman’s
work at the
‘Bridges London, Mathematics, Music, Art,
Architecture, Culture’ conference (UK)
(proceedings cover)
Tevfik Akgun from the Istanbul
Yildiz Technical University, Communication Design Department, Faculty
of Art and Design, Ahmet Koman
(Ilhan Koman’s son) from the Istanbul Bogazici University, Molecular
Biology and Genetics Department and Ergun
Akleman from the College Station, Texas A&M University, Department
of Architecture, Visualization Sciences Program presented at Bridges
London (UK) a lecture
and a workshop
about the ‘Developable Sculptural Forms of Ilhan Koman’.
.
These 3 Turkish researchers are referring to this study in these words:
‘Ilhan Koman is one of the innovative sculptors of the 20th century.
He frequently used mathematical concepts in creating his sculptures
and discovered a wide variety of sculptural forms that can be of interest
for the art and math community. In this paper, we focus on developable
sculptural forms he invented approximately 25 years ago, during a period
that covers the late 1970’s and early 1980’s’.
3rd 3-D Art Design Contest awarding
Ilhan Koman Trophy at Istanbul
Culture 2000 College
(Muharrem Aldev: winner)
Representatives of the Koman Foundation (Ahmet Koman and Fany Torre)
were part of the jury of the 3-D Art Design Student competition organised
by the Culture 2000 private College in Istanbul, the 28th of April 2006.
A student received an ‘Ilhan Koman Trophy’ during this event’s
award ceremony.
The Culture 2000 College chose Koman’s piece ‘Umaci’
(the ‘Ogre’) to illustrate the theme of this competition,
where students were asked to create art pieces out of recycled material.
This artwork was chosen as the emblem of this competition because when
it was created in Sweden in 1960 it was one of the 1st artworks using
rubbish (old radiators). At the time, newspapers in Stockholm referred
to this piece asking to the public if it was to be considered as ‘art
of just a piece of scrap’? Today, the ‘Umaci’ artwork
is estimated to a value of several hundred thousands of euros.
The competition was opened to all college students of Turkey. Awarded
young artists received grants lasting from one to several years to enable
them to benefit from higher education art studies in the close future.
Koman exhibition in Istanbul
Modern
Museum’s ‘Memory and Scale, 15 Artists of
Modern Turkish Sculpture’ show
(the exhibition)
A dozen artworks of Ilhan Koman have been exhibited as part of the ‘Memory
and Scale, 15 Artists of Modern Turkish Sculpture’ show, from
10th of February until 10th of April 2006 at the Istanbul
Museum of Modern Art.
Fifteen of the major modern and contemporary sculptors of Turkey were
represented for the first time all together with an historical perspective.
This show, curated by Hasim Nur Gurel, Ali Akay and Levent Calikoglu,
has been the widest sculpture group-exhibition in Turkey up to date.
It has been highly frequented by the public.
Eczacibasi, Avea and Hedef Alliance sponsored this exhibition.
