A Multidisciplinary Memory from Painting to Cinema: “Overseas: Özer Kabaş and His Times” at Salt Beyoğlu

Özer Kabaş (1934–1998), one of the most idiosyncratic figures in Turkey’s cultural history and interdisciplinary production, takes center stage once again through a expansive practice spanning painting, cinema, theater, and design. Salt Beyoğlu presents “Overseas: Özer Kabaş and His Times” from September 16, 2026, to March 14, 2027, focusing on the multifaceted world of Kabaş as an artist, educator, and writer, as well as the connections he forged with his contemporaries.

The exhibition brings together not only Kabaş’s formal inquiries on canvas, but also his experimental output across film, theater, and design within a comprehensive selection. Tracing motifs of the sea, blueness, and mental journeys, this narrative allows for a re-reading of the profound legacy the artist left on Turkey’s cultural landscape through the lens of his own “times.”

Over the course of six months, Salt Beyoğlu will host a rich parallel program of talks, film screenings, and panels to keep this memory alive. The first guest of the event series is poet and translator Cevat Çapan. In his talk at the Salt Beyoğlu Walk-in Cinema on Wednesday, September 30 at 18:30, Çapan will open the first door into Kabaş’s artistic universe and the spirit of the era they witnessed together.

Extending from autumn into spring, this long-running exhibition adds a thoughtful stop to walks along İstiklal Street, offering an invaluable viewing experience for anyone wishing to rediscover the interdisciplinary memory of Turkish art history.

Exhibition Note from NO-26 Editor

• Artist: Özer Kabaş (1934–1998)

• Exhibition: Overseas: Özer Kabaş and His Times (Denizaşırı: Özer Kabaş ve Zamanları)

• Venue: Salt Beyoğlu (Istanbul, Turkey)

• Dates: September 16, 2026 – March 14, 2027 (First Event: Talk by Cevat Çapan, Wednesday, September 30, 18:30 – Walk-in Cinema)