“Scent”

(15 April – 20 May 2003)

In Urfalığolu’s first solo exhibition, nearly 900 soaps that she transformed into lamb figures have been exhibited.

Catalog: Murteza Fidan’s text.

Articles about the exhibition

• Evrim Altuğ, “Hayatın Kokusuna Dair”, Radikal newspaper, 13 May 2003.
• Anonymous, “Meleklerin Sergisi”, Habertürk newspaper, 5 May 2003.

“My journey with Maçka Art Gallery started with the ‘20th Anniversary Young Artists’ exhibitions. MAG has become a legend with its publications, exhibitions, and events. My delight when I got a call from the MAG got even bigger with our first date with Rabia. As I was coming down from Maçka’s stairs, I realized that I could not control my legs. As a fresh graduate artist, I was called by a gallery in which I dreamed of my works in it. After the first shock I remember that I discovered the gallery more. The gallery was complete, and highly unique that; You should either settle accounts with it or just stand side by side. A gallery that encourages dialogue with its artist, it had a very strong stance beyond the foreseen… And it is attentive and graceful like it wants to vomit mediocrity. It is not possible to describe this place from a single point of view. Because MAG is not only a space; with the artists, employees, and the aura created with the events, its effects on the environment, city, and society could be examined from various perspectives. I want to examine Maçka Art Gallery with its scent. Because MAG spreads itself to the city through its scent. This is a different scent an unfamiliar one… Its scent, which is combined with art at every event, does not only play a role in the transformation of the gallery but also the transformation of the artist and society... The raw scent it emanates engraves in our memory as it matures. And now, the smell we encounter has a meaning in our memory. And, the gallery creates its proposition and establishes a deep bond with its audience. This bond establishes a reliable fragrance that we know and believe in...A scent that we share, we miss, and want to encounter again. To me, MAG was able to create a space for itself right in the middle of the crowd of the city. Sycamore, redbud, mimosa, brought through the scent of the sea from the fresh strait, caressing Democracy Park. Vodka, raki, wine drank in the evenings during conversations with friends and artists. Also, the scent of thinly sliced, thyme, and mint-flavored string cheese (topped with baked pastry). Scent of Rabia, Bilge, Candeger, Füsun, Sarkis, Seyhun, Serhat, Melike, Bilge Alkor, Özdemir Altan… My daughter, my son… The scent of Varlık… Rabia Çapa is a principled, idealistic person who was able to bring different perspectives and variety to her gallery. She is capable of adding her passion, her perspective on life to the gallery. She was able to achieve this goal by refining her love for Anatolia, without folklorizing the land where she was born and lived. She is a female gallerist who left a mark with her gallery. She is one of the most important people in my life, who doesn't say what’s on her mind without consulting with her heart. She is a special gallerist with incurable compassion, love for nature, art, all living things where you could feel her energy in every corner of the gallery. She is a “human” in every sense. We shared such meaningful beauties together…”

Ayşen Urfalıoğlu (28.04.2016)