The Moment the Collector Enters Production: “Triangle: A Dialogue” at Rast Gallery
The three core actors of the art ecosystem—artist, curator, and collector—typically operate in distinct silos dictated by traditional market conventions. While the artist produces in the solitude of the studio and the curator frames this practice within a conceptual framework, the collector acquires the work only at the terminal point. Rast Gallery in Beyoğlu aims to dismantle these entrenched roles and the invisible distances between them through the exhibition “Triangle: A Dialogue,” running through November 15, 2026.
Founded in 2024 by Özgür Sönmez, who trained as a painter, at Belkıs Apartment on Şimal Street, Rast Gallery positions its exhibition space not as a passive display venue, but as a nexus of social interaction. Conceived by curator Derya Yücel, this model marks a first in Türkiye. Rather than confining the collector strictly to the purchasing side, the exhibition elevates them to a thought partner holding equal agency with the artist and curator. Three distinct all-female triads demonstrate that artistic production thrives on collective dialogue rather than solitary action.
Three Distinct Trios and Shared Spaces of Production
The first triad in the exhibition brings together artist Rozelin Akgün, curator Dicle Beştaş, and collector Banu Çarmıklı. Working with bioplastics and organic waste to transform cycles of consumption and decay, Akgün is featured with Hevsel: Tracing the Footprints, which examines threats facing Diyarbakır’s UNESCO World Heritage Hevsel Gardens, alongside Pine (Patch), offering a feminist reading of everyday waste. Çarmıklı contributes to this process through her patronal ethos of long-term support for female artists.
The second group unites Sinem Dişli, curator Nergis Abıyeva, and collector Leyla Pekin. Centering geological time, biodiversity, and the fragility of human memory, Dişli interrogates how official historical narratives are constructed in her Göbekli Tepe series. In this process, Abıyeva acts less like a traditional curator and more like a research companion, while Pekin provides intellectual input into the shaping of the narrative.
In the visually striking third group, Şafak Şule Kemancı, curator T. Melis Golar, and collector Kına Demirel come together. Mapping queer ecosystems, Kemancı bends material hierarchies through reverse glass painting—applied to the back of the glass and viewed from the front. Floral motifs inspired by vulva forms transform on the canvas surface into symbols of both aesthetic and political resistance.
Transforming the collector’s perspective—traditionally relegated to the background of the market—into an organic component of the exhibition process, “Triangle: A Dialogue” illuminates a conversational terrain that elevates art beyond mere objecthood.
Exhibition Note from NO-26 Editor
Exhibition: Triangle: A Dialogue
Curator: Derya Yücel
Artists / Curators / Collectors: Rozelin Akgün – Dicle Beştaş – Banu Çarmıklı | Sinem Dişli – Nergis Abıyeva – Leyla Pekin | Şafak Şule Kemancı – T. Melis Golar – Kına Demirel
Venue: Rast Gallery (Şimal Sokak, Belkıs Apt. No:3A, Beyoğlu, Istanbul)
Dates: Until November 15, 2026
