Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair Raided By Islamist Group
By HG Masters
Members of the Erbakan Foundation outside the Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center before they raided Contemporary Istanbul art fair on the evening November 3 to object to the depiction of Ottoman Sultan, Abdulhamid II. They circulated the image on social media under the hashtag #Abd
As the rule of law has eroded dramatically in Turkey in the last two years, and particularly after the attempted military coup on July 15 when a state of emergency was declared, Islamist groups and individuals have felt increasingly emboldened to commit violent acts in public. In September, a man kicked a woman in the face on an Istanbul bus because she was wearing shorts that he didn’t find appropriate. Police arrested him and released him without charges, twice.
The attack on Contemporary Istanbul incident comes just a month after an Istanbul art gallery opening in the Tophane neighborhood was attacked by conservative neighbors who apparently objected to the consumption of alcohol and the mixing of men and women in a social environment. Art galleries in parts of the Beyoğlu district, especially around the Tophane neighborhood, have been threatened and assaulted multiple times since 2010 when three gallery openings were raided.
UPDATE: November 4
On Friday, facing threats and harrassment, Elmacı decided not to exhibit his sculpture at the fair again. Members of the Erbakan Foundation announced that they would continue to attack any artworks they don't approve of.
To read more articles on Turkey, go to our digital library: https://library.artasiapacific.com/
HG Master is editor at large of ArtAsiaPacific.
