Mike Berg, an American contemporary artist and sculptor, had two exhibitions in Istanbul, Turkey in November–December 2023. One of Mike Berg’s Kilim Exhibition was at Knotisse Cemberlitas Showroom.
Mike Berg lives and works in Istanbul, New York and Washington, and is known for his wall murals, metal and wood sculptures and installation art. Berg also had a long-standing collaboration with traditional Turkish textile artists like Burak Aydogan and he produced handwoven kilims.
One of his exhibitions, titled “New Kilims from Uşak”, was on display at Knotisse Çemberlitaş showroom from November 17 to December 17, 2023. The exhibition featured handwoven rugs and carpets, some as large as 6×9 feet. These works included a new kilim based on a detail from a gouache painting by Berg, inspired by the color palette of Anatolia.
Berg said he had a special interest in Istanbul: “I always had a special feeling when I returned to Istanbul. I was particularly attached to the light of the city, the architecture, the works of Arshiel Gorky and the amazing color palette found in Anatolia. There was no other place in the world that I knew with such a passionate connection to traditional art and craft. It influenced my work in every way.”
Berg’s other exhibition, titled “20-1 Colors”, ran from November 15 to December 15, 2023 at ADAS Gallery. It featured one-of-a-kind monotypes displayed in a large horizontal installation. These surprising color explorations were created on handmade paper sourced from the workshop of Ruth Lingen of Line Press, Brooklyn. The show also included small format original works created by Berg during the COVID pandemic.
The opening of Berg’s exhibition at Knotisse took place on November 17, 2023. For more information, please visit: https://knotisse.com/
Sources:
https://www.galerinevistanbul.com/news/173-mike-berg-at-knotisse/
https://www.galerinevistanbul.com/tr/news/173-mike-berg-at-knotisse/
