CROSSROADS 2013 at art ON Istanbul returns for its third edition, presenting new and emerging artists from August 15 – September 7. The exhibition features works by Ercan Akın, İlker Canikligil, Sema Kayaönü, Emre Meydan, and Aslı Yazıcıoğlu, each showcasing their individual artistic approaches and techniques.
The art ON platform offers rising artists substantial support, providing them with an opportunity to express themselves. Bringing fresh energy to the Turkish art scene, art ON continues its commitment to nurturing young talent through its annual CROSSROADS exhibition.
Ercan Akın, known for his figurative works, presents a portrait in which he fragments the surface to create a new composition. Whereas in previous works he incorporated mixed media to achieve this effect, in his latest piece, he explores fragmentation through a painterly approach using oil on canvas. İlker Canikligil, influenced by the Düsseldorf school of photography, presents digital works based on systems of repetition, recomposing images of moving individuals in a structured manner.
Sema Kayaönü, using cut-out paper techniques, explores the depth of architecture through layered paper compositions. Her choice of shopping malls as subjects critically examines the individual’s relationship with consumer culture. Emre Meydan depicts spaces framed within interior or exterior environments in his works, produced in gouache on paper or oil on canvas. Aslı Yazıcıoğlu contributes a sculpture inspired by rhinoceroses, employing her unique artistic technique to engage viewers.
All six artists’ works will be on view for the first time from August 15 – September 7 at art ON Istanbul.
In parallel with CROSSROADS 2013, Hüseyin Murat Aksoylu’s performance ÇEMBER will take place on the exhibition’s opening day, August 15. In this half-hour performance, Aksoylu challenges the limits of his own body while engaging the audience in shaping the event. The artist plans to run inside a two-meter diameter hoop, evoking the image of hamsters running endlessly in their cages.
The performance metaphorically references the hamster’s ceaseless motion: running tirelessly yet remaining in the same spot. As the hoop rotates, its speed and momentum—accelerating or slowing depending on the performer’s strength—create a dynamic interaction with the audience. Through this physical exertion, Aksoylu tests the limits of his body while drawing attention to the repetitive cycles of daily life. Breathless and constantly in motion, the performance reminds viewers how often we act without purpose or, despite our efforts, remain in the same place.
