The Struggle for Expression: Turkey's Art Scene Amidst Political and Economic Challenges

Interview with Hamdi Telli, the artistic director of MAKSAD Art Gallery, exhibitor of the 3rd edition of ARTCONTACT Istanbul art fair

As described by Hamdi Telli, MAKSAD Art Gallery is located in Marmaris, Turkey as a branch of MAKSAD (Marmaris Culture and Art Association), which has been carrying out successful activities especially in the field of music for more than 20 years. As one of the heavenly parts of the world, Marmaris is one of the most important touristic places of Turkey. 

Madara Enzele: How did you find yourself entwined in the world of art?

Hamdi Telli: I started my art studies in photography in the 1970s and I continue to work on photography today. Digital Art was added to my works thanks to the technology I encountered while I was the marketing manager of Apple Computer in 1986. I have taught photography and Digital Art classes at Mimar Sinan University, Hacettepe University, Atılım University and some private institutions. Together with my wife, Çiğdem Buçak Telli, who is one of the well known painters of Turkey, we were the founder and art director of Grup Art Gallery in Ankara until 2010. In 2017 we decided move to Marmaris and continue our art work there. 

ME: Could you share the story behind the founding of your gallery? What was the inspiration and driving force that led to its establishment?

HT: As for the establishment story of MAKSAD Art Gallery...

With this understanding, since we moved to Marmaris, I have sought ways to increase art activities there and to create a qualified art environment. I met MAKSAD  (Marmaris Culture and Art Association) and became a member of the association. We agreed with MAKSAD that the association should be active in other branches of art besides music. Upon my suggestions, we, as MAKSAD, decided to organize the Marmaris International Culture and Art Festival. 

Art activities such as exhibitions, painting performances, workshops, lectures was planned along with music events. But there was no suitable place as an art gallery for exhibitions that we planned to organize. We started to promote the project of festival to civil and official institutions in Marmaris and successfully attracted their attention. As a result of this sincere approach, we got one of the building of Marmaris Municipality suitable to make an art gallery, accepted by Marmaris municipality to assign to us. Thus MAKSAD Art Gallery was born in March 2022. 

ME: How would you describe the current state of the art market in Turkey? What are some of the key trends and dynamics you've observed in recent years? 

HT: I think we can consider the target market in the art market under three headings.
1- Intellectuals who enjoy being in an artistic living environment. Without going into a detailed analysis, we can define this segment as the middle income level of the society. Today it would be surprising even to see this segment, who once used to buy paintings and sculptures from galleries and art fairs, as visitors at art events. Under Turkey's current economic conditions, this segment has difficulty in meeting their basic needs, let alone buying paintings and sculptures.

2- Those who collect works of art according to one or more criteria (artist, technique, style, etc.). Nowadays, this group, most of which is wealthy and well versed buyers, is the mainstay of the art market. Nevertheless, the manipulation of art dealers is effective on this segment. 

3- Speculative buyers. Buyers who enter this market to save their questionable earnings from being questioned by buying works of art. In such purchases, in which large sums of money are returned, the largest gains are in the hands of the buyer and the art dealer. Even if the artist does not have much share in this kind of buying and selling business, he/she will not object because the market value of his works will increase.

It should also be noted that the first group, which consists of professions such as academics, doctors, and architects, who can be called white-collar workers, is the largest part of the market spread throughout the country. When this group withdraws from the market due to economic reasons, the art market is concentrated in the metropolises where the other two groups I mentioned above are mostly located.

ME: In your opinion, what should be done to prevent this gloomy future?

HT: A definitive and sustainable solution can only be achieved by the state, at least with the active participation and initiative of the state. In the current situation, it seems that such a solution cannot be reached in the short and medium term. I don't know if we can see the long term, but we need solutions that I can call palliative in the short and medium term. At this point, civil initiative gains great importance. Art associations and artist unions can ensure that our artists are recognized internationally with the support of some enlightened and foresighted capital owners.

ME: How do you perceive the international representation of Turkish art and artists? What steps do you think need to be taken to improve it?

HT: I think that Turkey is very weak in promoting its art and artists in the international arena. Moreover, it would be very difficult to say that Turkey is able to recognize its own art and artist in its current state. While Turkish art and artists began to be recognized in the international arena at the end of the resurrection process of the Anatolian people, which started with the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. But Turkey has moved away from its founding principles and goals in the field of art, as in every field, due to the changes in the country's administration. Fortunately, there are art dealers who are able to participate in international events, are promoting their selected artists internationally. However, existence of these art dealers is not enough for all artists who deserve their initiatives, and the objectivity and fairness of the criteria in the selection of artists can be discussed.

Effective PR work and strong capital support are needed to properly promote artists and art internationally. This means a great deal of support from the state and large corporations. Since no private company will invest in a subject where it cannot make a profit, such support for the shrinking domestic market cannot be expected. The initiatives to be made by private companies in this field for the foreign market cannot go beyond the initiatives of the art dealers I mentioned above. 

ME: Could you highlight some of the artists you represent? How do you choose artists, and what common threads link their work?

HT: In line with the founding purposes of our gallery, it is necessary to consider the artists we work with within two groups.

1- Qualified artists who are competent in their fields and known in the world of art, who we want to introduce to art lovers living in Marmaris and visitors.

2- Promising talented artists living in Marmaris that we want to introduce to the national and international world of art. In March 2022, while the renovation works of our Gallery were still in progress, we started to realize the program we had planned beforehand. We first attended the Art Ankara Contemporary Art Fair, which was held on March 10-13, 2022. Çiğdem Buçak Telli was the artist we represented at the fair and, to be honest, she represented us.

At our house, which is surrounded by forest, we could hear the screams of trees, birds and all other living beings in the fire. All of the works, which attracted great interest, were sold at the end of the fair. 

The first exhibition in our gallery was selected works of many precious artists such as Abidin Dino, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Ergin İnan, Habip Aydoğdu, Adnan Turani, Çiğdem Buçak Telli, Veysel Erüstün, Hayati Misman, Süleyman Saim Tekcan from our personal collection. The exhibition, which opened on May 13, 2022, attracted great attention in Marmaris.

Our first Marmaris International Culture and Art Festival started on June 10, 2022. Prof. Dr. Hayati Misman's personal exhibition was opened on 11 June 2022 as part of the festival program at MAKSAD Art Gallery. The exhibition, where Misman's metal collages, which is a unique technique, as well as oil paintings and engravings was highly appreciated by the visitors. After the festival, we organized the exhibition of artist Gökhan Sarpkaya living in Marmaris between 12-30 September 2022. The exhibition consisting of thirteen large oil paintings, which the artist called "Insanity", was found very impressive by the visitors.

We compiled the last exhibition of the 2022 season at the MAKSAD Art Gallery from the works of one of our important abstract expressionist painters, Lütfü Cülcüloğlu. With the support of his son who lives in Marmaris, we introduced the works of this important artist who died in October 2002 to art lovers in Marmaris.

In 2023, in the program of the 2nd Marmaris Culture and Art Festival, there was an exhibition titled "Dialogues with Frida" consists of the works of seven women artists interpreting Frida Kahlo. The curator was Atilla Güllü, and it was held on Frida's 116th birthday.

As MAKSAD Art Gallery, we were at the ARTCONTACT Istanbul International Contemporary Art Fair (that allowed us to meet you) between May 31 and June 4, just before the 2023 Festival and the opening of the exhibition. As you have seen, our Artist at the fair was Çiğ- dem Buçak Telli.

ME: As you already mentioned - we met during ARTCONTACT Istanbul. Why has this particular fair attracted you and how important participation in art fairs is for your gallery? 

While Atis Fairs (*the company that organizes both ARTCONTACT Istanbul and Art Ankara) was organizing the Art Ankara Fair for the first time, I also participated in the organization especially relating to photography and digital art. Our developing cooperation with my dear friend Bilgin Aygül and the fair management continues today. As MAKSAD, we chose to take part in these fairs as both Art Ankara and Art Contact Istanbul succeeded in being one of the most effective and qualified art events in Turkey.

As MAKSAD Art Gallery, participating in international art events and leaving an impression there is one of the most important aims of our establishment. We see this as both a social responsibility and an economic necessity.

However, on the contrary, the market shrinks while the economy is in recession. In that case, finding place in the international art market is the only way to survive for artists of Turkey. Although names such as Art Basel and Art Dubai are frequently mentioned, we have not yet prepared a program for participation among many international art events. I think the organization companies we will contact will have to convince us why we should join the particular fair they organized.

ME: What plans does your gallery have for the future? Are there any upcoming exhibitions, collaborations, or initiatives that you're particularly excited about?

HT: Although we are not sure what will happen the next day in Turkey's conditions, our program for several years is ready. Of course, every event we include in our program excites us. First of all, our festival is dedicated to 13 ancient cities in Marmaris every year. Two festivals, the first of which we dedicated to the ancient city of Phoenix and the second to the ancient city of Amos, were received with great interest. So there remains an eleven-year program to make.

While our friends in charge of music were making similar plans, we also planned exciting visual arts events at the MAKSAD Art Gallery and many other venues that suitable to use for. For example, I can say that Onay Akbaş's works will be exhibited at MAKSAD Art Gallery during the 2024 Festival and we will introduce Onay to art lovers of Marmaris.