An Intergenerational Selection from Sevil Dolmacı Istanbul: “European Art II”

Sevil Dolmacı Istanbul brings together different generations of European contemporary art with the exhibition “European Art II,” curated by Robert Fleck. Held between April 9 and May 31, the exhibition creates an interdisciplinary dialogue by juxtaposing works by influential figures who have shaped European art history with those of contemporary artists.

Bringing together multiple generations of European contemporary art, “European Art II” makes visible the continuity between the avant-garde legacy that emerged after World War II and today’s artistic practices.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are Heinz Mack, a founding member of the ZERO movement; Rosemarie Trockel, a key figure in the conceptual and feminist transformation of European art; and Katharina Grosse, known for expanding painting into architectural and spatial experience. Erwin Wurm, who translates everyday life into a sculptural language, and Stephan Balkenhol, recognized for his contemporary interpretations of figurative sculpture, further strengthen the historical and aesthetic framework of the exhibition. 

This framework is expanded through the works of Bernard Frize, known for his distinctive approach to color and surface in painting; Helmut Federle, who explores the spiritual dimensions of abstraction; Jongsuk Yoon, with her minimal and sensitive surfaces; Nevin Aladağ, whose practice engages with cultural identity and rhythm; Oda Jaune, known for her surreal narratives; Ahmet Oran, who continues the modernist painting tradition with a contemporary sensibility; Robert Elfgen, who transforms spatial perception through sculpture and objects; and Gülfem Kessler, whose work establishes a unique relationship between material and form.

Comprising painting, sculpture, and spatial interventions, the selection reveals the evolving language of contemporary art across a wide spectrum—from minimalism to post-conceptual approaches, and from investigations of color and surface to the reinterpretation of figurative sculpture.

Bringing audiences together at Sevil Dolmacı Istanbul, “European Art II” invites viewers to reconsider the continuity of art history and its ongoing influence today by assembling aesthetic and intellectual positions from different periods of European art within a strong curatorial framework.