Between the ongoing humanitarian crisis from the February earthquakes and the divisive political climate amidst the presidential and parliamentary elections, the voices and needs of the Turkish people must be heard, perhaps more urgently than at any time in recent history.<\/p>\n
In such moments, Turkish artist, activist and philanthropist Vuslat Dogan Sabanc\u0131 believes that art has a particularly crucial societal role to play. While exploring a range of themes and mediums, her entire body of work is bound together by what she has described as an underlying \u201cpassion to start a movement that creates a listening climate\u201d for the cultivation of empathy, healing, and ultimately, social change.<\/p>\n
Artistic origins rooted in broader activism<\/strong><\/p>\n A self-taught artist, Vuslat spent the first two decades of her practice working privately in her Istanbul studio alongside her successful career as a media executive. Despite long focusing on a different world, artistic creation became an increasingly crucial part of her life. <\/em><\/p>\n While in a very different domain, Vuslat\u2019s years as CEO and Chairwoman of H\u00fcrriyet\u2014<\/em>T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s largest independent newspaper\u2014<\/em>as well as a political activist provided her with insights that have greatly informed her art. From spearheading H\u00fcrriyet\u2019s editorial shift towards gender equality and human rights issues to launching trailblazing lobbying campaigns for women\u2019s empowerment, Vuslat\u2019s social engagement has instilled in her the importance of generous listening, a concept and practice involving \u201chearing beyond words\u201d using \u201cyour heart\u2019s ear.\u201d<\/p>\n In fighting to give women a stronger voice and equal treatment in Turkish society, Vuslat met women from all walks of life, from whom she learned how to listen generously in a genuine, empathetic way. Since these transformative experiences, generous listening has been the golden thread of Vuslat\u2019s contributions to public life.<\/p>\n But it was a quiet, reflective period during the COVID-19 pandemic spent in her private studio that inspired her to take her art public and use it as a vehicle for her deeply personal philosophy of social change and healing.<\/p>\n Stepping into the light<\/strong><\/p>\n Generous listening continues to inform Vuslat\u2019s life in her new full-time career as an artist, with her works boldly inviting others to engage in this practice. Given that generous listening requires transcending the physical act of listening, she believes<\/a> art is uniquely adapted to this pursuit by \u201cinspiring people and inviting them to think beyond words\u201d with an open heart.<\/p>\n\n A Place We Meet<\/em> In the past year, Vuslat has stepped out of her studio and into the light of the global art stage with a fully formed aesthetic voice, carefully honed over many years. Her debut solo exhibition, Silence<\/em>, curated by Chus Martinez at Pi Artworks in London during May and June of 2022, embodied Vuslat\u2019s vision of creating a transformative experience for the viewer and challenging our perceptions of and interactions with art. The exhibition gathered a captivating, complementary collection of works ranging from intricately crafted sculptures to drawings and installations, each a testament to the significant role of silence in our connections with ourselves, others and the natural world.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Recognising that language often inhibits a deep connection with nature, Vuslat devoted Silence<\/em> to countering this tendency by offering a space for visceral, authentic reflection on our surroundings. Using organic curves and forms, the sculptures of Silence<\/em> evoke natural landscapes, reminding us of our delicate, fragile balance with the environment.<\/p>\n Bold leap forward into the past<\/strong><\/p>\n Building on this initial public foray, Vuslat is currently preparing her second solo exhibition, Emanet<\/em>, launching in June at the Baks\u0131 Museum in T\u00fcrkiye, marking the first display of her work in an institutional setting.<\/p>\n\n Baksi Museum.<\/em><\/p>\n The Turkish notion of \u201cemanet\u201d has served as an anchor for this artistic exploration of personal identity and collective historical narratives. Roughly translating as something which is passed on and entrusted to future generations for protection and safekeeping, this ancient concept permeates every aspect of the exhibition, starting with its location.<\/p>\n Vuslat\u2019s choice of Baks\u0131 Museum<\/a> in northeastern T\u00fcrkiye for Emanet <\/em>is highly symbolic, as both share a devotion to the preservation of cultural traditions, shared experiences and geographies, as well as the use of forgotten wisdom to address today\u2019s problems. Accordingly, the works of Emanet<\/em> reflect the natural elements, cultural identity and history of Baks\u0131\u2019s landscape on the Anatolian steppe.<\/p>\n\n The landscape around Baksi Museum.<\/em><\/p>\n The region\u2019s mullein plants, and their healing properties, served as models for Emanet<\/em>\u2019s sculptures\u2014<\/em>displayed on plinths made of local stones\u2014<\/em>while the flow of the surrounding river inspired its suspended spiraling centerpiece, \u2018the Umbilical Cord of Life,\u2019 a meditation on the cycle of life and death.<\/p>\n\n Umbilical Cord Of Life Capturing Emanet<\/em>\u2019s essence, <\/em>return curator Chus Martinez has noted Vuslat\u2019s devotion to \u201ccreating an environment through art where we can listen to ourselves and reflect on what our ancestors have passed onto us and what we can add to this heritage to produce a better future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Harnessing art to spread generous listening <\/strong><\/p>\n In 2020, Vuslat established the Vuslat Foundation<\/a> on this very concept. Recognising generous listening\u2019s potential as a \u201cpreventive medicine,\u201d she created this global philanthropic organisation, to, in her words, facilitate \u201ca climate of listening in education, civic society, business and government\u201d in order to resolve conflicts \u201cbefore they turn into crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n Since its inception, art has been a key vessel for the Vuslat Foundation\u2019s endeavours. Indeed, its public launch<\/a> came at the 2021 Venice Biennale of Architecture<\/a>, where in response to the theme \u2018How will we live together?\u2019<\/em> it presented a new installation, \u2018The Listener<\/a>,\u2019 by Italian artist Giuseppe Penone to symbolise art\u2019s capacity to elicit deep reflection, build shared listening spaces and spark meaningful conversations for change.<\/p>\n Alongside her own art career, Vuslat has said that the Vuslat Foundation \u201cwill continue to do these kinds of projects,\u201d in order to spread the benefits of generous listening as widely as possible.<\/p>\n Over the coming year, the societal backdrop formed by post-earthquake national trauma, the upcoming Turkish elections and the centennial of the Turkish Republic\u2019s founding by Atat\u00fcrk will add additional weight and responsibility to these upcoming artistic undertakings.<\/p>\n As such, Vuslat remains as committed as ever to channeling art, whether hers or the work of other inspiring artists, to facilitate generous listening\u2019s role in lighting a path of healing, understanding and redemption.<\/p>\n\n Amulet<\/em> Image credits<\/em>: Kayhan Kaygusuz.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Between the ongoing humanitarian crisis from the February earthquakes and the divisive political climate amidst the presidential and parliamentary elections, the voices and needs of the Turkish people must be heard, perhaps more urgently than at any time in recent history. In such moments, Turkish artist, activist and philanthropist Vuslat Dogan Sabanc\u0131 believes that art […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nI, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII<\/em>
\n2023<\/em>
\nSilver coated mullein plants and<\/em>
\nBayburt stones<\/em>
\nVariable dimensions<\/em><\/p>\n
\n2023
\n3D Print on PLA
\n450 x 400 x 600 cm<\/em><\/p>\n
\n2023<\/em>
\nCeramic and silver<\/em>
\ncoated leafs<\/em>
\nVariable dimensions<\/em><\/p>\n