Suzanne Lacy: Together exhibition opens at SSM

Considered a pioneer of feminist art and participatory, community-focused performance art, Suzanne Lacy 's first exhibition in Turkey presents a selection from the long-term production of this pioneering artist who transforms participation, solidarity, and collaborative learning into an art form.

Bringing together a large number of volunteers from different segments of society, especially women and youth, from various countries around the world, and creating "living tableaux" with people, the artist brings to the fore issues such as identity, freedom, various forms of violence, economic hardships, and aging. With her exhibition "Togæther," she invites the audience to reflect on questions at the intersection of art and life, art and politics, aesthetics and ethics.

EARLY EXAMPLES OF FEMINIST ART

Lacy's performances, which span a wide period of time and bring together people from all walks of life, take on a new artistic quality through diverse exhibition formats when placed within institutional structures like museums. Her exhibition at the SSM brings the emotional memory of these performances, each performed in public spaces with hundreds of volunteers and thousands of spectators, to the museum through video installations.

Bringing together works from different periods of Suzanne Lacy's career, the exhibition features Whisper, Waves, Wind (1983-1984) and The Crystal Veil (1985-1987) focusing on the personal and social experiences of aging and aging women. Between the Door and the Street (2013) engages women from different generations in conversations surrounding issues such as education, employment, family, and migration. With Your Own Hand (2014-2015) addresses the phenomenon of violence against women worldwide through men gathered in a bullring in Ecuador to read letters from over ten thousand women about violence. The exhibition also features early examples of Lacy's feminist art, which emerged as a stance in the American art scene of the 1970s. In this respect, the selection at SSM comprehensively presents the artist's work spanning over half a century.

'ART SHOULD OPEN US TO CONTINUOUS THINKING'

Speaking at the exhibition's press conference, the artist said, “Over the years, working with diverse communities, I've come to understand this: Art lives not just in images, but in the relationships formed in public spaces and the consequences these relationships provoke. I begin every project with questions; I'm curious about how people understand their own circumstances and truly value what they choose to share. The exhibition at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum brings these experiences, shaped in different contexts, to Istanbul. Here, I share some of my past projects, hoping the viewer will connect them meaningfully to their own lives. Art should constantly open us to reflection, and therefore I'm thrilled that my works will meet a diverse audience at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum.”

The first event within the scope of the exhibition will be an artist talk on Saturday, September 13th at 2:00 PM; Suzanne Lacy will meet with Sakıp Sabancı Museum Director Ahu Antmen to discuss her volunteer-based participatory art practice.

Along with the exhibition, a comprehensive catalogue will be published, bringing together documents and visual archives from different periods of the artist's work, as well as texts discussing Lacy's practice.

In addition, multi-layered events will be held in collaboration with Sabancı University Gender and Women's Studies Center of Excellence SU Gender and the Sabancı Foundation, which conducts gender education and awareness activities.

Suzanne Lacy: Together/Togæther exhibition will be open to visitors at Sakıp Sabancı Museum Gallery - 2 until Sunday, December 14.