Gülsün Karamustafa: From Prison to Storytelling in No Man's Land
Gülsün Karamustafa, a Turkish artist born in Ankara in 1946 and currently residing in Istanbul, unveiled a permanent installation titled "The Long Thin Thread / Filo lungo e sottile" (2023) for the No Man's Land project, organized by Zerynthia Associazione per l'Arte Contemporanea OdV and AWARE – Bellezza Resistente, during the Cantiere Aperto event in Loreto Aprutino (Pescara) on June 18, 2023. This installation incorporates three vintage sewing machines, representing themes of migration and inclusion. As a storyteller from the '68 generation, Karamustafa views art as a form of political expression. Notably, her 1977 poster alludes to the May Day 1977 massacre in Turkey, and her "Prison Paintings" were showcased in 2013, reflecting her critique of Westernization and exploration of Istanbul's cultural hybridization.
Key facts
- Gülsün Karamustafa created permanent installation 'The Long Thin Thread' for No Man's Land in Loreto Aprutino, Italy, on June 18, 2023.
- The installation uses pieces of three old sewing machines to symbolize migration and inclusion.
- Karamustafa was imprisoned for six months during the 1971 military coup in Turkey.
- Her 'Prison Paintings' (1972) were first exhibited in 2013 at 'A Promised Exhibition' in Istanbul.
- Her 1977 poster references the May Day 1977 massacre in Turkey where 36 people were killed.
- She uses kitsch to analyze social changes in Istanbul, including cultural hybridization from migration.
- Her work 'Etiquette (The Taming of the East)' (2011) critiques Westernization using a 1925 Turkish etiquette book.
- Karamustafa's uncle Mihri Belli was a communist leader arrested in 1951.
Entities
Artists
- Gülsün Karamustafa
- Manuela De Leonardis
- Sadik Karamustafa
- Mihri Belli
- Sevim Belli
Institutions
- Zerynthia Associazione per l’Arte Contemporanea OdV
- AWARE – Bellezza Resistente
- Artribune
Locations
- Ankara
- Turkey
- Istanbul
- Contrada Rotacesta
- Loreto Aprutino
- Pescara
- Italy