A Quarter-Century of Memory and a Living Identity: Galerist Marks Its 25th Anniversary with “Gönül İşi”

Having opened its doors in Nişantaşı in 2001 with a Simon Periton exhibition, Galerist has played host to nearly 200 exhibitions and fostered deep, enduring relationships with dozens of artists over the past 25 years. What began as a journey in Istanbul has over time expanded into a dynamic narrative extending across the global art map, backed by a formidable presence at international platforms such as Liste Art Fair Basel, Art Basel, and Frieze Masters. The gallery now marks this quarter-century legacy with an exhibition titled “Gönül İşi” (Labor of Love), reaching far beyond a mere anniversary celebration.

Though evoking a classic retrospective at first glance, Gönül İşi diverges sharply from a conventional chronological archive exhibition. The selection zeroes in on the intense labor, dedication, and bonds that take place behind the scenes of artistic production, which so often remain invisible. While every work functions as a self-portrait of the artist who created it, the confluence of all 50 portraits ultimately shapes the gallery’s own collective portrait and its 25-year artistic trajectory. Here, archival works of historical significance enter into a spatial dialogue with newly commissioned pieces produced specifically for this occasion.

The exhibition’s artist roster reflects both the imprint Galerist has left on local art history and the bridges it has built across the international stage. Works by touchstones of Turkish contemporary art—Semiha Berksoy, Nil Yalter, Sarkis, Taner Ceylan, and Ayşe Erkmen—meet pioneering international figures across various disciplines, including Erwin Wurm, Thomas Ruff, Julian Opie, Michael Craig-Martin, Hussein Chalayan, and Gavin Turk.

On view between September 16 and November 7, 2026, Gönül İşi offers an intimate milestone demonstrating how a gallery transforms over time into a living, breathing collective entity that generates memory.