TUNCA’s solo exhibition “Desire” at Art On İstanbul can be described as exploring the political, social, and cultural dimensions of “taste.” The project aims to offer viewers previously unexplored visual experiences. The series, on which the artist has been working for the past two years, takes inspiration from the favorite dishes of influential leaders who shaped the 20th century.
To realize the project, TUNCA undertook professional culinary training. After conducting detailed research on the leaders’ favorite dishes and painting their portraits, the artist personally cooks the recipes while filming performance videos, creating intriguing bridges between past and present. From Castro to Churchill, Atatürk to Mao, TUNCA examines the tables of twelve political figures who redrew the world map. Using painting, photography, video, performance, and sculpture, the artist constructs a “multilayered” narrative that fosters interdisciplinary dialogue while highlighting overlooked details of history.
TUNCA’s visual investigations, centered on desire, do not aim to rewrite history. Instead, the project reminds viewers that one of the most concrete expressions of abstract thought—food culture—is loaded with diverse meanings. It also underscores, without being documentary or didactic, that “taste” is a vehicle of collective memory.