One of the world-renowned figures of 20th century modern art, sculptor and artist İlhan Koman (1921-1986) will be in Antalya with his most famous works on the 40th anniversary of his death. Antalya Culture and Arts (AKS) is hosting the exhibition titled Towards the Mediterranean, which focuses on the artist’s life and productions with a comprehensive selection of around 50 works by Koman. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with İlhan Koman Foundation.
İlhan Koman Retrospective
The retrospective exhibition will reintroduce the artist’s most well-known and iconic work, the Mediterranean Sculpture, to the audience. The work will be exhibited in Antalya, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in the place the artist wanted most during his lifetime.
Ömer Faruk Şerifoğlu, the curator of the exhibition, states that the main element in İlhan Koman’s sculptures is movement: “The main form of Koman’s sculptures is the space they occupy in motion. Half of the Mediterranean Sculpture is made of metal and the other half is made of space. Therefore, the space it is in is an organic part of it. It is a fluctuating, vibrating, sea-scented goddess. With the movement of the viewer, it starts to blow in the wind.”
In 1981, the Mediterranean Sculpture, which was awarded the Sedat Simavi Visual Arts Award, was placed in front of a company building in Istanbul. However, Koman was not satisfied with this location. According to his close friend Güneş Karabuda, the artist expressed his thoughts about the Mediterranean in the following words:
“It would be nice if it were placed at the harbor entrance of a Mediterranean city in the south, and passing ships would whistle and salute it.”
The meeting to take place in Antalya is not only an art event, but also holds a valuable meaning as the realization of İlhan Koman’s dream.
