Gates of the Underground

The exhibition presents unique Bohemian crystal sculptures, acrylic covered with diamonds, and 6500-year-old wood opened at Basilica Cistern Istanbul.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) brings global art to Istanbul, inviting art lovers to visit an extraordinary exhibition organized in partnership with IMM Heritage, IMM Culture and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Istanbul at the Basilica Cistern!

Vlastimil Beranek, Aqua One, Bohemian Crystal / Photo © Vlastimil Beranek and Crystal Caviar

Installation view, Vlastimil Beranek, Aqua One, Bohemian Crystal / Photo © Vlastimil Beranek and Crystal Caviar

The Basilica Cistern, which has become one of the brand values of Istanbul with the exemplary restoration of IMM Heritage, is hosting a glorious exhibition shaped by the concepts of the underground, reality perception and reflections titled "Gates of the Underground – Touching Space with Transition and Reflection; Vlastimil Beranek". The exhibition brings together the works of Czech contemporary sculptors Vlastimil Beranek and Jaroslav Prosek.

Vlastimil Beranek, Heart Gold, Bohemian Crystal / Photo © Vlastimil Beranek and Crystal Caviar

Installation view, Vlastimil Beranek, Heart Gold, Bohemian Crystal / Photo © Vlastimil Beranek and Crystal Caviar

The exhibition, curated by IMM Deputy Secretary General Dr Mahir Polat and Miroslav Kroupa, Owner of Kroupa Gallery, presents the crystal sculptures placed in the water, establishing a dialogue with the two core materials in the Basilica Cistern, water and stone, with its transparency and solidity.

The sculptures reflecting in the 10,000 square meters of water surface in the Basilica Cistern contribute to the sublime atmosphere of the space. The visitors can admire the unique selection of the best sculptures from renowned Bohemian artists Jaroslav Prosek and Vlastimil Beranek.

Vlastimil Beranek, Horizon, Bohemian Crystal / Photo © Vlastimil Beranek and Crystal Caviar

Installation view, Vlastimil Beranek, Horizon, Bohemian Crystal / Photo © Vlastimil Beranek and Crystal Caviar

Both artists in their works explore the most intimate corners of humanity and nature with glass as their preferred material. Its transparency and translucency bring the sculptures to another dimension. The crystal perfectly combines natural and artificial aspects of our reality, creating a memorable exhibition experience, while the ancient wood provides additional calmness and humbleness.

The exhibition deals with themes of the underground, perception of reality, reflection and transition, based on the allegory of the cave by the philosopher Plato, in which people chained in a cave see the shadows of objects reflected from the cave entrance and perceive them as reality.

Vlastimil Beranek, Hornet, Bohemian Crystal / Photo © Vlastimil Beranek and Crystal Caviar

Installation view, Vlastimil Beranek, Hornet, Bohemian Crystal / Photo © Vlastimil Beranek and Crystal Caviar

Vlastimil Beranek's glass works focus on the past and present, interact with the water and stone texture of the cistern and participate in the dynamic reflection with water, light, and colour. Jaroslav Prosek's works, on the other hand, take the viewer back to the time when the first glass produced in Mesopotamia about 6,000 years ago met with the oak wood material from the same period, raising questions about ourselves, collective memory and the present.

IMM-hosted "Gates of the Underground – Touching Space with Transition and Reflection; "Vlastimil Beránek" exhibition awaits its visitors until November 30, 2024. For any further information about the Bohemian sculptors you can contact Crystal Caviar - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).