Prepared in memory of Mefaret Tüzün, Bodrum’s first female judge, the exhibition A Breath of Life opened its doors as part of International Women’s Day on 8 March, aiming to make women’s struggle for equality and solidarity visible through art. The exhibition will be open to visitors until 8 April.
Focusing on women’s memory and solidarity in Bodrum, the exhibition A Breath of Life is on view until 8 April. Organized through a collaboration between Bodrum Municipality and the Bodrum Women’s Solidarity Association (BKDD), the exhibition is curated by Yaren Akbal, with Züleyha Altıntaş serving as artistic advisor.
Görünmeyen Emek, Tığ işi el örgüsü, Misina, 2026
(Bir Hayat Nefesi sergisi üzerine revize edilmiş versiyonu)
The exhibition was conceived to commemorate Mefaret Tüzün, Bodrum’s first female judge, and to reconsider through art the ideas of justice, equality, and freedom that her life came to represent. The event takes place at the Bodrum District Governor’s House and City Museum, where Tüzün once lived, as well as in the former courthouse building, now used by the Mediterranean Countries Academy Foundation (Akademia).
Taking its title from Clarice Lispector’s book A Breath of Life, the exhibition approaches each artistic production as a space for breathing and pause. It aims to recall the traces of the women’s rights movement in the region alongside Bodrum’s strong historical ties, while making visible women’s centuries-long pursuit of equality.
Conceived as part of a women’s solidarity network extending from Bodrum across the wider Muğla region, the exhibition aims to transform 8 March from a day of commemoration into a space for feminist and artistic gathering. Enriched with book signings, seminars, and talks, the program invites visitors to take part in a relational exhibition experience throughout the month.
The exhibition features works by Benal Dikmen, Betül Akzambaklar, Canan Sönmezdağ Zöngür, Damla Sarı, Ebru Nakamura, Ebru Uğur, Elvan Erdin, Esma Ekiz, Evrim İnan, Funda Cömert, Gamze Taşdan, Gülşah Bayraktar, Gözde Mimiko Türkkan, Gülçin Aksoy, Seda Hepsev, and Züleyha Altıntaş, as well as by Ayşecan Kurtay, Ayşegül Sağbaş, Beyza Boynudelik, Didem Ünlü, Füruzan Şimşek, and Nur Gürel from the KRE – Women, Dreams, Dragons Artist Collective.
The exhibition A Breath of Life is realized with the support of the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Department of Women and Family Services, the Mediterranean Countries Academy Foundation (Akademia), the Bodrum Maritime Museum, Mor Salkım Vineyards, and Kevser Taliana.
