Haydarpaşa Garı train station, quiet of late because of construction work, is once again buzzing with people. But this time the crowds running to catch trains have made way for those who wish to admire them, as international Art Symposium Nine Dragon Heads has chosen it for the location of their exhibition.
Excited by the title of the project, Taste of Tea, I set out to see what it was all about. Coming into the event as a jobless expat looking to taste some free tea, I was pleasantly surprised, a little confused, while at the same time feeling like I might have witnessed something profound.
From a mountain of salt on a train, disco lights, a bandaged man passing on a silver ball and a carriage with platters full of biscuits, I was a little baffled. Stuck in between trying to discover what this had to do with tea and whether it would be acceptable to devour the pastries on display (it was), I struggled to wrap my head around what this all meant. The fast range of themes the works addressed seemed daunting and muddled. Nevertheless, I found my self in awe, with the aesthetic beauty of a scrap metal box full of holes. Sometimes that which seems intimidating from the outside might turn out to be beautiful when we take the time to step inside.
When talking to Dutch artist Harold de Bree, he explained to me that his work was inspired by dazzle camouflage techniques used on allied ships during World War One. Ships were painted with black and white stripes in different angles in order to confuse and mislead enemy submarines. The dazzle made it more difficult for U-boats to calculate the distance of and direction the ship was going in. De Bree’s work seems to serve as a greater comment or warning on how easily it is to be misled. In the context of a changing political environment, it invites us to be critical of our sense experiences but also of our own perspective on things.
As a nomadic group of artists, journeys and the intersection of different ideas, goods and cultures seem to play a prominent role, in both life and art. The train station serves as a physical junction; a place between journeys. But instead of rushing on to the next train, the public is invited to take some time to reflect and contemplate. The ideas and approaches of the different artists tackle similar themes from a variety of perspectives; the themes intersect like junctions on a railway. ‘Tea’ and ‘Taste’ are concepts understood in a broad sense, allowing the artists to addresses themes such as consumption, tradition, sensory experience, and cultural exchange.
Trying to make sense of Istanbul and this art exhibition, I sit down, reflect, and exchange possible interpretations over a glass of cay with some new friends. In this chaotic world, stuck in between the past and present, East and West, I feel grateful for the feeling of stability a good tea provides.
More information about the exhibition, running through October 4th, can be found here.
All images courtesy of the author.
Thankyou for great works