To be formed by the artwork
- Berfin Küçükaçar
- 1 gün önce
- 6 dakikada okunur
Ruzy Gallery presents Formative, a selection curated by Thom Oosterhof featuring works by ten international artists from eight different countries, at the 20th edition of Contemporary Istanbul, taking place from September 24 to 28, 2025. Following the fair, the selection will lay the groundwork for a gallery exhibition of the same name, on view at Ruzy Gallery from October 2 to December 2, 2025. Formative brings together works by Alexandros Vasmoulakis, Amalie Jakobsen, Angela Santana, Anne von Freyburg, Gracelee Lawrence, Hugo Capron, John Riepenhoff, Maria Bang Espersen, Pam Glick, and Vickie Vainionpää. We spoke with the curator, Thom Oosterhof, about the concept behind the exhibition
Interview: Berfin Küçükaçar
You developed the theme Formative inspired by Tanpınar’s quote: “Even people can sometimes be reflections of things they do not recognize.” How did this idea shape the narrative of the exhibition? What was the core conceptual commonality that brought the artists together?
You know when you have an idea that grows and grows in your mind demanding to be expressed. Well, this was one of those ideas…
I wanted to bring together artists whose work was responsible for pushing their practice as much as they were for pushing the work itself. Understanding that the tussle with their mediums and the ideas in which they were exploring in their work, were key contributing factors in the “growth” of their practice.
Through the understanding of this “transactional relationship” that is constantly in flux, the artists were able to find a sense of creative freedom rather than resistance. Trusting that the work, albeit temporarily, had their hands on the wheel.
Additionally, the object of surprise was a determining component that takes center stage in the exhibition. The artists involved recognize that their journey has been one of exploration and that the revelations often stumbled upon were not so much intentional, more accidental. This I wanted to bring into space. Whereby the viewer is constantly and equally challenged and surprised by the methodologies, hidden motifs and techniques on show within the exhibition. By exhibiting works of various sizes and mediums, the viewer is afforded multiple “windows” of discovery, should they wish to dive in…
Formative, Ruzy Gallery, 2025, View from the exhibition. Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz
In the exhibition, different mediums such as painting, sculpture, and textile are positioned not as passive carriers but as integral parts of the production. In your opinion, how does material transform the artist's intent? What kinds of dialogues do the selected works establish in this regard?
In order to tell the story of “formative”, it was imperative that different mediums played a central role. The limitations, and thus opportunities, of materials such as steel, thread and glass are so wildly different that creatively, they guide the artist down directions other mediums can not. This variation reveals so many different versions of this previously mentioned ‘transaction’, that the outcome is almost a series of conversations across different languages.
For example, Maria Bang Espersen’s work is created in an instant. Due to the melting and cooling points of her material being so short, she is forced into a sort of rapid expression. Over time her skills are honed, but in the moment, she must act instinctively and decisively otherwise the glass can be quite unforgiving. In contrast, the way Angela Santana first builds up her work by digitally reworking and reimagining her forms takes significant time, limited, to a degree, by the parameters of the technology, her medium both constrains and completely explodes into life at the same time. And this is just the first step in her process. Once satisfied, the work then begins its journey to the canvas face through the magic of oil paint. The result a digital rework realized in physical form.
Aside from time, a further dialogue revealed through the different mediums on show is the concept of representation. What I wanted to explore in this exhibition was how through giving abstract “clues” rather than realistic depictions, the viewer is given the opportunity to view form as limitless. With several of the artists working on the boundaries of figuration and abstraction, the works allow a range of perspectives for the viewer.
Defined only by the lenses in which we see the world, much like artists have their mediums in which they work, our understanding of form and our relationship to it have limits. This exhibition champions the narrative that what forms through artistic practice and exploration are not always as they seem. That formation itself lies within the adventure of success and failure, discovery and memory, what is false and what is true.
Formative, Ruzy Gallery, 2025, View from the exhibition. Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz
Bringing together ten artists from eight different countries, this selection fosters interaction between diverse cultural and aesthetic backgrounds. What new questions and dialogues emerged from this diversity during the curatorial process?
Understanding that bringing together talented multi-cultural creatives would push the exhibition into realms that I as the curator could not have foreseen is why I do what I do. I see myself as the initial “firestarter”, but it is the magic in the growth, forms and colour of said flames that makes my exhibitions what they are. I take little credit for the result, only the formation.
It is this formation that many of the artists resonated with, no matter the cultural or aesthetic backgrounds. Understanding that their initial gestures, brushstrokes or ideas themselves are just the match that lit the fire. That the work itself comes alive from its inception. Like a sculptor working on a tree. As he sees the tree, he sees the finished work within. His job is to simply remove the wood that distorts the image.
The diversity within the exhibition also encouraged a diverse range of viewers. For those interested in Abstraction, there are some incredible abstract artists taking part. However, it is those artists that are new to the viewer, those who take abstraction somewhere new. These are the artists, for example, that I am trying to bring into the viewers eye. Encouraging the viewer to be adventurous, to trust the process and discover something that they had not foreseen. Thus, leaving the exhibition “formed” by a work, or a series of works, that they had not experienced, nor intended on, before entering the space.
This is the magic of art and the experience I wished to convey.
Formative, Ruzy Gallery, 2025, View from the exhibition. Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz
Formative seems to offer not only a visual experience but also a bodily one. Do you envision the audience’s engagement with the exhibition to be more of an intellectual reading or a physical navigation? How do the viewer’s own memory and intuition integrate into the narrative of the show?
Both play an important role. With several of the paintings being of a large scale, the viewer is invited to “dive in” and really experience the painting. Figures appear larger than human form, see Angela Santana’s work, and abstractions take on grand proportions, see Alexandros Vasmoulakis’ work, shifting the typical perspective of the viewer into something more expansive. Coupled with the presence of several sculptural works, that again challenge proportion and perspective, the viewer is encouraged to explore the large Ruzy Gallery space as an interactive experience rather than one to be viewed from afar.
Conversely, I wanted to present artworks that challenged the minds of the viewers. Works that ask questions as much as they provide answers were critical. Like the relationship between artwork and artist, it is a dance of question and answer rather than one or the other. This flow, this conversation, becoming palpable within the exhibition space. Remembering Tanpınar’s insightful quote as one drifts from work to work provides incredible value in keeping the central narrative close to hand.
Formative, Ruzy Gallery, 2025, View from the exhibition. Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz
Ruzy Gallery is participating in Contemporary Istanbul for the first time. What does this special 20th anniversary edition mean to you? Following the fair, how do you plan to continue the process at Ruzy Gallery in a way that offers a deeper experience for the audience?
Contemporary Istanbul represents an incredibly important moment in the art calendar, both geographically and regarding place on the calendar.
Being at the intersection of markets in the West and in the East is critically important historically and now more than ever. With growing markets in Asia and the Middle East only attracting more attention and uncovering more talent, their place at the global “art table” is only becoming more important. As the West continues its growth, the middle ground, with hubs like Dubai, Qatar and Istanbul, represent significant areas of collaboration and influence from both East and West. The investment into these hubs, both privately and institutionally, represents a significant opportunity for voices within these hubs to grow louder, become more impactful and share the stories of those in the region with the world, and to expose those in the region to artists from other regions.
Being the 20th anniversary only enhances its importance and growth in stature over time. We are thrilled to be taking part in such a monumental fair for the region and on the international stage with such an incredible line up of talented international artists, many showing for the first time in Istanbul.
We hope that our presentation not only sparks an important dialogue but also introduces our artists to new local and international patrons. We are incredibly proud of the work we have put in and cannot wait to show you more!
