Galeri Nev is the only gallery from Turkey invited to Paris Internationale.
Paris Internationale, founded in 2015 as an almost "subversive" alternative to traditional fair models, is based on the principles of independence and togetherness. Opening in October, the fair aims both to showcase international emerging talents and to celebrate the unpublished works of established local artists.
While the post-war ‘Ecole de Paris’ artists which it has represented for almost forty years approach their centennial, Galeri Nev embraces the rebellious spirit of Paris Internationale this year as it presents the work of a young artist in his thirties.
At the 8th edition of Paris Internationale, Galeri Nev is pleased to present La part des lèvres, the pastellist Gökhun Baltacı’s first solo exhibition in France.
Whilst a childlike innocence emerges from Baltacı’s technique which encourages the viewer to take a closer look at his compositions, repetitive objects are the first to be noticed right behind the velvety deep aspect of the pastel itself. Despite their recurrence, these figures are reintroduced into Baltacı's seemingly simple interiors in an ever-unusual way. Scattered across vast monochrome surfaces, ostensibly harmless motifs such as a pair of earrings, a glass of water, a bouquet of lavender, or a sprig of grapes are transformed into threatening signs. The artist creates a singular visual language and initiates the observer to his repertoire through repetition as if to warn them. His familiar yet completely unknown timbre resonates through the silence.
The title of the exhibition, La part des lèvres refers to the Turkish expression “dudak payı bırakmak” which may be translated as "to leave a gap for a sip". It alludes to the "safe distance" left between a hot or alcoholic beverage and the lips. Similarly, the series proposed by Baltacı is a call for caution to resist temptation; reminding us that a familiar and seductive melody can be deafening if we refuse to settle for its distant echoes.
Sensitive to photography, Baltacı prefers to set up his stories using diptychs and triptychs that would be best suited for his sequential narratives. Paris Internationale taking place in the former studio of Nadar this year, one of the leading photographers of the nineteenth century, enriches the young painter’s exhibition with a multitude of resonances.
Gökhun Baltacı has graduated with a master’s degree in Fine Arts from Hacettepe University in Ankara in 2019. Since 2010, he has participated in several group shows, including Shaken Image at Pera Museum in Istanbul, and The Same Garden at Evliyagil Museum in Ankara, Turkey. His first solo exhibition Angels' Share took place at Galeri Nev in 2017, followed by Hat Trick in 2019. Gökhhun Baltacı’s works prepared for the 2022 edition of Paris Internationale are presented with a catalog giving reference to his past exhibitions.
