ABOUT DİLARA AKAY
"... In today’s contemporary art context of Turkey Dilara Akay is an artist and activist with multipurpose intentions. Her meticulously crafted metal sculptures, found object assemblages, ready-mades and installations expose clear and imaginative reference points to feminist values and principles, follows the path of Post-modern surrealist methods of three dimensional production and casts a spell of sensation and to the gaze of the society of spectacle. Her public art and performances extends her concepts and opinions on women emancipation, imposed gender identities, forms of political dominance on individual and social life, on manipulation of tradition and Modernism. Her works reflect her experience of finding her inner forces for social commitment as well as convey an energy to convince people to associate their experience with her work..." Beral Madra Dilara Akay (born ’63 Adana, Turkey) lives and works in Dalaman, Turkey where she has recently created Dilara Akay Sculpture Garden (’19); a public space for her work inviting people from Dalaman and beyond. Founder of artist platform HAYAKA ARTI (’05), "alternative gallery project" interfacegallery.com (’09), ambassador of Terzo Paradiso (Third Paradise / Rebirth Project by Michelangelo Pistoletto and Cittadellarte) and ambassador of WWF Turkey ('21); she was graduated from Üsküdar Amerikan Academy for Girls (’81) and Bosphorus University (’85). During 90’s she was involved in creating fashion brands Dice Kayek and David People (DPGC), and writing articles in Gazete Pazar and Biz magazine.
ARK-IST
Dilara Akay with her latest sculptures 'ARK-IST' at Galeri Gart on September 10, 2009, in parallel with the 11th International Istanbul Biennial.
Gallery G-art presents the abstract sculptures of Dilara Akay, in which she transforms the architecture and cultural visual forms of the city she lives in, by looking at them through the glasses of “ARK”, and tends to question the boundaries between the lines standing in space, fullness and space, time and infinity, object and subject.. Akay, Sculptures named ARK, which she has been working on since the early 2000s, each related and even born from each other; She defines it as the "reconstruction" of natural forms that are universal on the one hand, and many cultural elements belonging to our environment, such as architecture and decorative arts, on the other hand, by abstracting them in a 3-dimensional environment. While revealing these through geometric symbols and/or natural symbols, especially curved lines and circular planes, the "space", which is an integral part of her sculptures, creates an interactive and creative communication ground for the audience's impressions and comments. With the ARK-IST exhibition, it is aimed for the audience to look at the heritages of Istanbul, which will be the European Capital of Culture in 2010, such as the Hagia Sophia Museum and the Kamondo Stairs, with a new eye, and to get away from the culture/alienation dilemma in their impressions and reach the "oneness" over cultures.
