Sevil Dolmacı Gallery’s exhibition The Pop State of Time meets Bodrum’s vibrant energy within the historic atmosphere of Ruins Luxury Resort.
One of the standout exhibitions of summer 2025 is The Pop State of Time, organized by Sevil Dolmacı Gallery in collaboration with Ruins Luxury Resort. Opening its doors on July 12, the exhibition takes its name from its bold approach that combines nostalgic elements with the visual language of the digital age. Positioning pop aesthetics not just as a style but as an attitude, the selection invites contemporary art audiences on a journey through time with neon colors, graphic forms, and iconic images etched into collective memory. Designed in harmony with Bodrum’s ephemeral yet intense summer rhythm, this open-air exhibition integrates seamlessly with the layered architecture of Ruins Luxury Resort. Through this interaction with the architecture, the works do not simply exist as displays—they become living, breathing pieces that engage with their surroundings.
Featuring works by Ebru Döşekçi, Ekrem Yalçındağ, Ahmet Oran, Doğan Doğan, Gençay Aytekin, Sinem Sezgin Bozkurt, Cem Gönül, Sinan Saül, Tuna Özkaragöz, Tuba Elmas, Emre Namyeter, Barış Sarıbaş, Pamir Yıldıran, and Emel Ilgaz, this special selection blends the sense of “memory” from the past with today’s visual inquiries. Drawing from pop culture while deepening through contemporary art, the exhibition creates a narrative that resonates across time. We spoke with Sevil Dolmacı about the exhibition.
Which emotions, images, or periods does The Pop State of Time bring into the present? What inspired the title?
The Pop State of Time is an exhibition that merges cultural traces from the past with today’s aesthetic and intellectual language. The title encompasses works that reinterpret the temporal energy of popular culture through both nostalgic and contemporary lenses. Themes carried by pop art from the 1960s to the present—icons, consumer culture, mass communication, and identity—have been updated, personalized, and mapped across time by artists of different generations in this exhibition. The title evokes Andy Warhol’s famous statement, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” while also questioning what the modern equivalent of that “15 minutes of fame” might be. It invites viewers to see how seemingly timeless images are, in fact, closely tied to the present.
With artists from different generations, what kind of dialogue does this diversity create?
One of the most exciting aspects of the exhibition was establishing a natural and intellectual connection across generations. Pop culture itself is a unifying theme, which allowed unexpected yet strong connections to emerge between works.
There is both contrast and harmony between the iconic imagery of established artists and the media-driven approaches of younger creators. The exhibition presents the aesthetic and intellectual ruptures of time as a kind of map for the audience. Pop’s “light” and “playful” language is, in reality, highly critical and multilayered. This intergenerational dialogue makes that complexity even more visible.
How does presenting the exhibition in a historic, layered space like Ruins Luxury Resort enhance the experience? How does Bodrum’s summer energy resonate within it?
Ruins blends the remnants of the past with a contemporary sense of luxury, making it an ideal setting for The Pop State of Time. Contemporary artworks displayed within the historic fabric spatially embody the dialogue we create between past and present.
Bodrum’s seasonal, transient, yet grand summer energy reflects the spirit of the exhibition. Experiencing the exhibition here goes beyond a traditional gallery visit: viewers encounter an atmosphere where nature, history, luxury living, and art coexist, leaving a deeper imprint on memory.
What does taking art beyond gallery walls mean to you, and how does The Pop State of Time embrace this mission?
With this exhibition, we demonstrate that art can exist powerfully not only within white walls but also within our lived environments and everyday experiences. It is important to surprise and provoke thought while also offering aesthetic pleasure to the audience.
Moreover, this exhibition is part of Sevil Dolmacı Gallery’s ongoing presence in Bodrum. It is not merely a summer event but an extension of a vision that transforms the region’s cultural fabric.
Ruins Luxury Resort will host this colorful and timeless exhibition until September 25.
