The second solo exhibition of the renowned artist Erdil Yaşaroğlu, titled “Transatlantik,” will open its doors at the Alexandre Vallaury Building from December 25 to January 30, inviting art enthusiasts on a captivating journey.

Four years after his first exhibition, “Oyun” (Game), held in 2019, “Transatlantik” focuses on themes of struggle, compromise, and sustainability through the artist’s sculptures.

Deep Stories Told with Sculptures

Following the large-scale installations in the “Oyun” exhibition, Erdil Yaşaroğlu now conveys his mental game through sculptures. “Transatlantik” delves into the depths and insight behind the artist’s familiar, colorful, and bright faces. Leading viewers into a world where light diminishes, darkness prevails, and resembling the mysterious creatures of the ocean floor, the exhibition creates a unique atmosphere.

Internal Confrontation with Natural Materials

In this exhibition, Erdil Yaşaroğlu’s signature forms meet natural materials such as stone, bronze, and wood. The defiant stance of natural materials challenges the artist, transforming over time into a structure that enriches and reinvents itself after compromise. The works depicting the artist’s internal confrontation highlight concepts of struggle, compromise, and sustainability.

Transatlantik through the Artist’s Eyes

Describing the exhibition, Erdil Yaşaroğlu states: “People’s initial approach to my sculptures is often influenced by their colorful and cute aspects. However, these serve as small traps I set to draw them into the stories behind my sculptures. We live in a very gray, unappealing, and challenging world. I enjoy narrating our troubles with joy. The work that gives its name to the exhibition, ‘Transatlantik,’ is a beautiful example of this. You encounter a small transatlantic sculpture, and this cute little yellow thing tells you how humanity has ruined the world. In addition to the colorful inner world in the exhibition, you will also see its gray and black sides.”

Commentary by BüroSarıgedik Founder Esra Sarıgedik Öktem

Esra Sarıgedik Öktem, the founder of BüroSarıgedik, responsible for managing the artist’s national and international representation and overseeing the exhibition’s structure and management, evaluates Erdil Yaşaroğlu’s surprising internal journey as follows: “Erdil continues to surprise me. We often see the world from opposite perspectives. He challenges me every time! Understanding what he sees and contemplating on what he tells is an experience. This dynamic between us and the artist I represent is like an ongoing game. Now Erdil is in front of me with his internal journey. He speaks to us from a deeper place.”

Details of the Transatlantik Exhibition

The exhibition will be open for visits at the Alexandre Vallaury Building from December 25, 2023, to January 30, 2024. It will welcome art enthusiasts from 10:00 to 20:00 on weekdays (except Mondays) and from 11:00 to 19:00 on weekends. Art lovers are invited to this unique exhibition filled with Erdil Yaşaroğlu’s sculptures.

About Alexandre Vallaury Building

The Alexandre Vallaury Building boasts one of Istanbul’s most beautiful Belle Epoque facades. It will host Erdil Yaşaroğlu’s second solo exhibition.

Alexandre Vallaury, born in Istanbul, graduated from the Paris Ecole des Beaux-Art in 1880 and returned to Istanbul. He is the designer of many structures considered among Istanbul’s most significant architectural heritage, including the Cercle d’Orient building on Istiklal Avenue, the Ottoman Bank building on Bankalar Caddesi, the building that is now the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, and the Pera Palas Hotel. The Alexandre Vallaury Building at Meşrutiyet Caddesi 99, named after him, was built in 1896 as the Union Français building. The building served as the temporary location for the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art from 2018 to 2022.

About the Artist

Erdil Yaşaroğlu, a graduate of Kadıköy Anatolian High School and Mimar Sinan University Faculty of Fine Arts Sculpture Department, began his professional career in the 1990s by drawing cartoons. He created the “Komikaze” column in Limon and Leman magazines. He wrote various scripts and games for television programs and taught cartoon courses at Boğaziçi University and Istanbul Bilgi University. In 2002, he co-founded the “Penguen” magazine and published “Lombak,” “Kemik,” and “Hayvan” magazines. In 2011, he entered the Guinness World Records by drawing the world’s largest cartoon, covering an area of 12,000 square meters. In 2014, he published the first humor magazine for children, “Süper Penguen.” He became a co-producer of the animated film “Kötü Kedi Şerafettin” in 2016. Erdil Yaşaroğlu has participated in numerous sculpture exhibitions both nationally and internationally.

About BüroSarıgedik

Established in 2017 by Esra Sarıgedik Öktem, BüroSarıgedik is an artist representation office aiming to create support structures for artists. Operating within the framework of a desire and need to respond to the current conditions of the art environment, BüroSarıgedik engages in activities such as organizing exhibitions at local and international levels, creating funds for the production of new artworks, preparing publications about artists, developing collaborations with institutions, and adding artworks to public and reliable private collections. BüroSarıgedik currently represents Meriç Algün, Vahap Avşar, Cengiz Çekil, Eda Çekil, Berat Işık, Erdem Taşdelen, Gülsün Karamustafa, and Erdil Yaşaroğlu.