The French Cultural Institute of Istanbul hosts an exhibition entitled “Wanderers (Flâneuses)”, which is curated by Bige Örer. Welcoming visitors until November 3, the exhibition includes the works of five artists who took part in the artist-in-residence program at Cité des arts and experienced Paris in different periods: Aslı Çavuşoğlu, İnci Furni, Yasemin Özcan, İz Öztat & Zişan and Güneş Terkol. Based on the idea of “walking” which was a decisive action for the artists concerning the relation they established with the city, the exhibition is included in the parallel events programme of the 15th Istanbul Biennial.
The act of “walking” plays a decisive role in the exhibition, which is based on the interaction established by the participating artists with the city, as well as the studio they lived in. Questioning “walking” through philosophical, geographical, spiritual, social, political and literary means, the artists dwell on beating different corners and streets of city and turn it into an extraordinary experience which allows them to witness unexpected situations confronting the wanderers and further transforms the walking routes into a memory. The main focal point of the “Wanderers” exhibition, which is based on a rich literature about the act of walking from various generations and geographies, is the figure of “wanderer” which emerged as an important figure of the literary culture of France in Paris during the 19th century and which later became a timeless and universal character.
