LESBOS.- Lines of Passage (in medias res) endeavours to demonstrate a variety of connections among narratives of memory and expressions of differing intensities and (stylistic) approaches through artworks selected from the permanent collection of the Elgiz Museum in Istanbul. Sevda and Can Elgiz began amassing the collection in 1980 by focusing on “the contemporary” in art and life and in 2001 made the collection accessible to the public at The Elgiz Museum in Istanbul.

Lines of Passage (in medias res), curated by Başak Senova, forms a constellation reflecting on the trajectories of memory and perception. Within the exhibition, potential encounters between the selected artworks and spaces designate an ever-changing dynamic which is based on personal narratives, consciousness, psychological and cognitive recognitions. The exhibition suggests various paths of understanding through its scenography and potential dialogues of historically and politically charged geographies. It is nurtured by a selection of core works encompassing a cross section of narratives. Each work in the exhibition connects to another with non-linear narratives employing the in medias res either through content-based or form-based links.

The first iteration of Lines of Passage (in medias res) takes place at the Municipal Art Gallery of Mytilene on the Greek Island of Lesbos. The gallery, formerly known as the Halim Bey Mansion is an example of the island’s Ottoman period architecture.

Further, there is an emotional connection with the Lesvos venue: Can Elgiz’s great grandfather, Halim Bey was born and raised in this building. The exhibition, already inhabited and inscribed in the narrative of the building, aims to add and route other lines of passage.

Lines of Passage (in medias res) winds through the Halim Bey Mansion and presents artworks in various media ranging from paintings to sculptures, from installations to objects, from photographs to films and videos by prominent artists including Pınar Yolaҫan, Oleg Dou, Cindy Sherman, Azade Köker, Bedri Baykam, Bengü Karaduman, Ferhat Özgür, Gilbert & George, Hale Tenger, Tracey Emin, Louise Bourgeois, Mateo Mate, Burak Delier, Gülsün Karamustafa, İhsan Oturmak, Kendell Geers, Komet, Nan Goldin, Nilbar Güreş, Özlem Günyol, Rebecca Horn, Tomur Atagök, Veljko Zejak, Benji Boyadgian and Hera Büyüktaşcıyan.

A companion book documenting the evolution of the project will be launched during the exhibition. It will be edited by Başak Senova and will be available in three languages (Turkish, Greek, and English).