Galerist Marks 25 Years with 'Labour of Love' Group Show in Istanbul

Galerist, the Istanbul gallery founded in 2001, is holding a 25th-anniversary group exhibition titled 'Labour of Love' until 7 November. The show brings together 49 multi-generational, mostly Turkish artists, including 14 new commissions, and is loosely organised around self-portraiture. Among the works are Güçlü Öztekin's 'Nameless 106' (2012), Yeşim Akdeniz's 'Walking on Eggshells' (2025), Merve Morkoç's 2025 video 'Humiliation has a number now', Nil Yalter's video 'Skin Story' (2003), a painting by Haluk Akakçe, and a concrete sculpture by Ayça Telgeren. The exhibition also features Şahin Kaygun, Yusuf Sevinçli and Semiha Berksoy. Galerist opened in 2001, the same year as Türkiye's severe financial crisis and the founding of the AK Party, a period that reshaped Turkish arts funding as state support was cut and private collectors and corporations stepped in. The gallery has mounted nearly 200 shows and launched a publishing programme and the now independent Art Unlimited magazine. The show is framed as a reunion celebrating long-term relationships and community.