The Dream of Shells That Never Existed
Pg Art Gallery is pleased to host the group exhibition 鈥淭he Dream of Shells That Never Existed鈥�, focusing on one of nature鈥檚 most delicate and fragile forms: seashells.
The artworks in this exhibition are inspired by the 6,000-piece seashell collection that Hasan G眉le艧莽i meticulously assembled over the years and donated to the Bodrum Maritime Museum in 2019.
Centering on the formal and conceptual possibilities of seashells, 鈥淭he Dream of Shells That Never Were鈥� brings together artists from various disciplines, exploring their relationships with nature, memory, and transformation. The exhibition invites viewers to discover the subtle connections between the aesthetic language of nature and the human inner world, through the metaphor of the shell. The shell is approached at times as a shelter, at times as a remnant, or as a trace. Through diverse materials and individual artistic practices, the works offer a rethinking of nature鈥檚 formal sensitivity through the potential of technology. While expanding this multilayered space of meaning, the exhibition also offers a multifaceted experience through the variety of materials and techniques used.
Some works employ artificial intelligence technologies to simulate imaginary forms of shells that never existed, establishing a dialogue between the rigidity of form and the fluidity of memory. Others transform traces of time hidden in nature into bodily narratives through materials like glass, wool, or sand. This visual language鈥攚here the organic and the synthetic, the past and the future, the fragile and the resilient intertwine鈥攔eveals the artists鈥� approach to nature not merely as a subject of representation but as a way of thinking.
The spiral structure of the shell evokes the life cycle; its inward-curving surface suggests protection, its glossy texture invites memory and storytelling. Plants, corals, oysters, and the very shape of water鈥攅ach acquires new meaning through the unique approaches of the participating artists. In the paintings, time is suspended; spaces, imbued with a sense of semi-abandonment, call on the viewer to pause, observe, and remember.
鈥淭he Dream of Shells That Never Were鈥� is not only a meeting of nature鈥檚 delicate structures with human fragility, but also a contemporary reflection on the dialogue between material, form, and thought in today鈥檚 art practice. Each work speaks its own language within this dialogue鈥攑osing the same essential questions through different paths: What is memory? What does it mean to be protected? How real, and how imagined, is our connection to nature?
Rather than offering clear answers, the exhibition opens a space for contemplation鈥攑rompting viewers to search for their own responses. It brings us into renewed contact with time, the body, nature, and ourselves.
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Pg Art Gallery is pleased to host the group exhibition 鈥淭he Dream of Shells That Never Existed鈥�, focusing on one of nature鈥檚 most delicate and fragile forms: seashells.
The artworks in this exhibition are inspired by the 6,000-piece seashell collection that Hasan G眉le艧莽i meticulously assembled over the years and donated to the Bodrum Maritime Museum in 2019.
Centering on the formal and conceptual possibilities of seashells, 鈥淭he Dream of Shells That Never Were鈥� brings together artists from various disciplines, exploring their relationships with nature, memory, and transformation. The exhibition invites viewers to discover the subtle connections between the aesthetic language of nature and the human inner world, through the metaphor of the shell. The shell is approached at times as a shelter, at times as a remnant, or as a trace. Through diverse materials and individual artistic practices, the works offer a rethinking of nature鈥檚 formal sensitivity through the potential of technology. While expanding this multilayered space of meaning, the exhibition also offers a multifaceted experience through the variety of materials and techniques used.
Some works employ artificial intelligence technologies to simulate imaginary forms of shells that never existed, establishing a dialogue between the rigidity of form and the fluidity of memory. Others transform traces of time hidden in nature into bodily narratives through materials like glass, wool, or sand. This visual language鈥攚here the organic and the synthetic, the past and the future, the fragile and the resilient intertwine鈥攔eveals the artists鈥� approach to nature not merely as a subject of representation but as a way of thinking.
The spiral structure of the shell evokes the life cycle; its inward-curving surface suggests protection, its glossy texture invites memory and storytelling. Plants, corals, oysters, and the very shape of water鈥攅ach acquires new meaning through the unique approaches of the participating artists. In the paintings, time is suspended; spaces, imbued with a sense of semi-abandonment, call on the viewer to pause, observe, and remember.
鈥淭he Dream of Shells That Never Were鈥� is not only a meeting of nature鈥檚 delicate structures with human fragility, but also a contemporary reflection on the dialogue between material, form, and thought in today鈥檚 art practice. Each work speaks its own language within this dialogue鈥攑osing the same essential questions through different paths: What is memory? What does it mean to be protected? How real, and how imagined, is our connection to nature?
Rather than offering clear answers, the exhibition opens a space for contemplation鈥攑rompting viewers to search for their own responses. It brings us into renewed contact with time, the body, nature, and ourselves.
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