The photo exhibition “Mirror of Conflict – Iconoclastic Debates 2” by Prof. Nico Carpentier, known for blending academic research with artistic practice to create original works, was opened with a reception held at the Energy Museum on the santralistanbul Campus. The exhibition, which explores the monuments in Cyprus and how they intersect with the dominant ideologies on the island, will be open for visitors until October 22nd.
In her speech at the opening reception of the exhibition, Prof. Dr. Aslı Tunç, Vice Rector of Istanbul Bilgi University and a faculty member in the Faculty of Communication’s Media Department, stated, “Especially if you are an academic in the field of media and communication, there is no one who does not know Prof. Nico Carpentier, his works, research, art, and installations. The ‘Mirror of Conflict – Iconoclastic Debates 2’ exhibition opened today is an intellectually intriguing and thought-provoking journey. The photographs here provide us with an excellent platform to think about who the victims, heroes, and leaders are, and to consider the concepts of freedom and victory through the monuments in the north and south of Cyprus. Due to BILGI’s history of deepening in the social sciences since its establishment, this is the right place to discuss nationalist discourses, ideologies, and conflicts. This art-based research work also aligns with the research areas that BILGI has contributed to for years.”
Prof. Dr. Burak Özçetin, Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Istanbul Bilgi University, stated that hosting the ‘Mirror of Conflict’ exhibition, which is a creative exhibition where curiosity and discoveries intersect, and welcoming Nico Carpentier is a privilege for them.
Nico Carpentier expressed his great happiness at personally hosting the guests after all the effort put into the preparations for the exhibition. He continued his speech as follows: “This project is a photographic project that started 10 years ago when I lived in Cyprus and discovered the discursive-material power of monuments. These works, which are often overlooked by the logic of everyday life, deserve more attention because they are time capsules that show how history and ideology are intertwined when looking at the past, present, and future. They are communication actions that have a lot to teach us, embodied narratives. This exhibition proves how academic and artistic research can be integrated and reinforce each other. What you see are academically supported research on the construction of the self and the enemy, theoretically and methodologically. You also see an artistic work that stands on its own and tells its own story.”
The ‘Mirror of Conflict – Iconoclastic Debates 2’ exhibition will be open to visitors at the Energy Museum until October 22nd.
About Nico Carpentier:
Prof. Nico Carpentier works full-time at Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic). He is an academic, curator, and artist and is one of the leading researchers in the field of communication. He is also the President of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (2020-2024). He has published comprehensive works on Cyprus, including The Discursive-Material Knot: Cyprus in Conflict and Community Media Participation (2017, Peter Lang, New York) and Iconoclastic Controversies: A Photographic Inquiry into Antagonistic Nationalism (2021, Intellect, Bristol). Prof. Nico Carpentier often combines photography, sound art, and installation art, using art-based research methods, leading to exhibitions such as Respublika!, Iconoclastic Controversies I, Wolf Talks, and The Mirror of Conflict (Iconoclastic Controversies II).
About Istanbul Bilgi University:
Istanbul Bilgi University was founded in 1996 with the motto “Learn not for school, but for life” to bring a breath of fresh air to university life in Turkey. Today, it has more than 20,000 students and over 60,000 alumni. Istanbul Bilgi University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs under its faculties of Law, Communication, Business, Architecture, Engineering and Natural Sciences, Applied Sciences, Health Sciences, and Social and Human Sciences, as well as its vocational schools and institutes. Accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), Istanbul Bilgi University is the only university in Turkey with institutional-level international accreditation. The university has three campuses in the heart of Istanbul: santralistanbul, Dolapdere, and Kuştepe. Detailed information about Istanbul Bilgi University can be found at www.bilgi.edu.tr.
