The exhibition “Carrying the Scent” will take place from April 2 to 13, 2025, at Tisa Mansion, a historic stone building in Old Halfeti, as part of the 7th Halfeti Scent Festival.
Curated by Nihat Özdal, known for his work on olfactory culture, the exhibition brings together five artists who explore scent not only as an aesthetic or sensory experience but also as a political, ecological, and archival tool.
The artworks of Ayşen Urfalıoğlu, Beyza Durhan, Aras Seddigh, Ömer İpekçi, and Tilbe Çakır can be seen in the exhibition. Focusing on the material, ephemeral, and political nature of scent, the exhibition is located in Halfeti — a town profoundly transformed by urban and ecological changes, much of which was submerged beneath dam waters in 2000. The city’s relationship with water provides a poignant framework for contemplating how physical and sensory memory can be altered or displaced.
About Scent Festival
Halfeti, known worldwide for its rare black roses, also holds a unique scent identity shaped by the blossoms of plum, bergamot, and apricot trees in its gardens, along with endemic wild flora found in its surrounding landscape.
The Scent Festival began seven years ago under the leadership of Slow Food Halfeti, originally as a movement to protect the endangered Mesopotamian hyacinth. Over the years, the festival has grown into a broader effort to raise awareness and preserve the region’s olfactory heritage.
Today, Halfeti — a town partially submerged since the year 2000 — seeks to revive its sensory past through scent. The festival emphasizes two central themes: nature and memory.
This year, in addition to the “Carrying the Scent” exhibition, the festival will host nature walks, talks, workshops, and concerts in collaboration with the Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality.
