Vanilla, Grass, Almond

Kendi Collection brings together 24 artists in Istanbul for the exhibition Vanilla, Grass, Almond from April 6 to June 28, 2026. Curated by Huo Rf, the exhibition transforms the book object from a completed entity into a living, evolving site of production reshaped by personal memory, through the artists' contemporary interventions on their past publications using organic materials, collages, and sound elements

Rahel Zoller, Last Pages / Last Pages of Last Pages, 2022 Collection of torn-out final pages from books found in London, Zürich, Berlin, Paris, and Stockholm Last Pages of Last Pages (exhibition piece) Single volume, 9 cm thick, archive of 500 original last pages.

The scent that greets you when you part the pages of an old book is, in fact, time itself. The silent dissolution of paper, ink, and binding over the years releases notes of vanilla, grass, and almond into the air. This process, known as bibliosmia in Greek, emerges in Kendi Collection's new exhibition as a sensory reflection of memory, geography, and the ties we forge with the past.

Vanilla, Grass, Almond refuses to accept the book as a completed and silent object resting on a shelf. Taking place in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, between April 6 and June 28, the exhibition invites 24 artists to confront their past publications.

The artists rewrite their own works by adding new notes between the pages, incorporating organic and inorganic materials, and using collages, sculptural forms, and sound interventions. In doing so, the book object ceases to be a finalized story and evolves into a living site of productio, one that continues to transform over time, constantly negotiating the past and the present.

Curated by Huo Rf, the exhibition features spatial design by Zeynep Tümertekin and graphic design by E S Kibele Yarman. Coming from diverse geographies and transforming the artist's book into an excavation of personal memory, the participating artists are: Ahmet Civelek, Antonia Breme, Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Berkay Tuncay, Ecem Yüksel, Elif Kahveci, Emirkan Cörüt, Furkan Öztekin, Gülşah Mursaloğlu, Joseph Imhauser, Kadir Çıtak, E S Kibele Yarman, Lara Ögel, Metehan Özcan, Neslihan Başer, Rahel Zoller, Rhonda Khalifeh, Sena Başöz, Sevil Tunaboylu, Sevim Sancaktar, Thukral & Tagra, Ufuk Barış Mutlu, Vardal Caniş, and Yasemin Özcan.

Throughout the exhibition, public events will be held to discuss the boundaries and potential of the "artist's book" concept. To witness this transformation and follow the program, you can visit the exhibition's Instagram account.