Two Gazes Within the Frame at Avantgarde Collection Istanbul: İlknur Can & Sevil Alkan

Participating in Contemporary Istanbul with its private collection, Avantgarde Collection orchestrates a dynamic dialogue on the fairground this year—one that leaves nothing to chance. Bringing together two independent photographers, İlknur Can and Sevil Alkan, this selection represents far more than the convergence of two distinct lenses; it serves as a resonant manifestation of a shared creative practice and friendship cultivated over many years.

From Numbers to Frames: The Journey of İlknur Can

Leaving behind the safe harbors of corporate life to pursue one’s passion always demands courage. Taking a radical leap into freelance photography after years in the banking sector, İlknur Can frames this transition not as a mere career shift, but as an uninterrupted journey into her inner world. Sparked in childhood when she held her first camera in Bilecik, this passion has evolved into a mature visual language probing the phenomenological effects of objects, people, and nature upon us.

Carrying an exhibition trajectory that launched in 2015 at the Indian Photography Festival across prestigious platforms—including FotoIstanbul, Bursa Photo Fest, “Turkey Blues” at the European Month of Photography Berlin, and Contemporary Istanbul/Bloom—Can registers life’s fleeting reflexes with the delicate touch of a painter’s canvas.

From Rigid Architectural Lines to Street Flow: Sevil Alkan

Sevil Alkan, meanwhile, approaches photography through the gateway of an entirely different discipline: architecture. Examining the city’s physical shell following her architectural studies at METU and a Master’s in Urban Studies at Bauhaus University, Alkan employs photography as a conduit to reveal the complex emotions lying beneath everyday scenes. Her architectural background lends her compositions an incisive perspective that deeply apprehends the relationship between space and human presence.

Also the author of the book Urban Animal, Alkan’s works have been exhibited across international institutions ranging from Akbank Sanat to the Museum of Poreč and the Russian Museum of Photography. Her international accolades—including first prize at the LensCulture Street Photography Awards (2019) and recognition at the MonoVisions Photography Awards—stand as concrete testament to how she distills street chaos into a refined visual narrative.

Reflection of a Collective Spirit: “Flight” and “Wind”

The primary common denominator reuniting both artists at the fair is H-art Collective, co-founded by the pair, which continues to shape the Turkish photography scene. Producing side by side for years, curating exhibitions, and championing the potency of collective practice, these two figures converse in a unified visual language within the Avantgarde Collection presentation.

Positioned side by side in the exhibition, two works encapsulate the intellectual poetics of this partnership: İlknur Can’s piece titled Flight (Uçmak) and Sevil Alkan’s work Wind (Rüzgar) (both 2022, 42×60 cm fine art prints). Complementing each other seamlessly from titles to dimensions, these two photographs spark an organic dialogue grounded in lightness, motion, and liberation. Offering visitors a momentary breath amidst the fair’s bustle, this pairing demonstrates—beyond a mere curatorial gesture—how intuitively both artists capture one another’s cadence.

Dates are September 23, 2026 – September 25, 2026—a presentation well worth taking the time to experience.