Lehmann Maupin in a New Thriving Scene
Giancarlo Politi
GIANCARLO POLITI: From New York to Istanbul, from the center to the periphery. Why?
Rachel Lehmann: We have been working with collectors and art enthusiasts in Turkey for many years now - the Elgiz and the Eczacibasi families included - and Isabella Icoz, a Turkish advisor that we had developed a strong relationship with encouraged us to bring more of a physical presence to Istanbul. The city has such a rich base of artists, private foundations and collectors. With Istanbul being named the European Cultural Capital of the year and its biennial on the horizon next year, the timing seemed great to further introduce a group of international artists in the context of this thriving scene.
GP: Will your program for this project in the Turkish capital follow that of your New York gallery or will you also work with local artists?
RL: At this time we plan to show five of the artists that we represent: Hernan Bas, Tracey Emin, Teresita Fernandez, Tony Oursler and Jennifer Steinkamp. We are also interested in exploring different ideas for future projects.
GP: What do you think of the market in Turkey? Is it flourishing? Is there any chance it will be in the future?
RL: The market in Turkey is strong and there is growing support for contemporary art there. It is amazing how well the country is doing amid the challenges that some of its neighboring countries are facing.