In Greek mythology, the Hesperides are nymphs who guard a hidden garden at the edge of the West. In that garden grow golden apples; whatever is most precious is kept there. But when “HESPERIDES” is chosen as an exhibition title, the question extends beyond mythology: what do we find worth protecting? And how do we protect it — through stories, through images?
Istanbul Concept Gallery poses that question through Su Alara Acerol and Deniz Defne Acerol’s first duo exhibition. Open until 8 August.
Two Sisters, Two Different Routes
Su Alara Acerol and Deniz Defne Acerol are sisters. But their professional routes have developed along different trajectories: one through archaeology and art history, the other through painting and mythological imagery. This difference is the most interesting dimension of the exhibition.
Su Alara Acerol studied archaeology and art history at Bilkent and Koç universities on full scholarships, and has participated in rescue excavations. She is, in a sense, someone who draws art from the ground, who has internalised the language of excavation. This background explains the layeredness of her work: the surface carries much more than what is immediately visible.
Deniz Defne Acerol graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University’s Painting Department in 2013. She works with mythological imagery drawn into contemporary time, through storytelling and imaginary spatial constructions. In a certain sense, she is reconstructing the Hesperides’ garden through painting.
The Exhibition as a Shared Imaginary World
Curator Işık Gençoğlu frames the exhibition’s conceptual axis as follows: the “HESPERIDES” garden functions as a metaphor for reading the narrative universes the two artists create together. The mythological reference does not carry a fixed meaning; on the contrary, it opens questions for each viewer about their own act of protection, their own “precious garden.”
The fact that this is a first duo exhibition is significant: the first time these sisters’ independently developed practices encounter each other systematically. This is not an archive but a dialogue. And where the dialogue will lead is not entirely predetermined — that uncertainty is part of the exhibition’s originality.
Istanbul Concept Gallery: A Young Voice in Beyoğlu
Istanbul Concept Gallery is one of the relatively new and attention-drawing names in Istanbul’s art scene. Located in Beyoğlu, it runs a programme open to the international art world but close to local voices. *HESPERIDES* is a strong example of that sensibility: a programme choice that brings together mythology, current art production, and artists from Turkey.
FAQ: HESPERIDES at Istanbul Concept Gallery
- Where and until when can I see the exhibition?
*HESPERIDES* runs from 8 July to 8 August 2026 at Istanbul Concept Gallery, Beyoğlu. For the gallery’s address and opening hours, visit istanbulconcept.com.
- Who are Su Alara and Deniz Defne Acerol?
Su Alara Acerol: studied archaeology and art history at Bilkent and Koç universities on full scholarships; participated in rescue excavations. Deniz Defne Acerol: Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Painting Department, 2013 graduate; works with mythological imagery and imaginary spatial constructions. They are sisters, and this is their first duo exhibition.
- What does Hesperides mean in mythology?
In Greek mythology, the Hesperides are nymphs who guard a hidden garden at the western edge of the world, where golden apples grow. The exhibition uses this metaphor as a framework for thinking about the concepts and values people find worth protecting.
