The Pill

𝘐𝘕 𝘉𝘓𝘖𝘖𝘔 is currently on view at the gallery.
𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒇 𝑬𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏’s exhibition activates the dreams of modernity rooted in Turkey’s liberal development policies of the 1980s and 1990s, exploring collective memories and social issues of that era through summer housing as a cultural invention.

Fragmented images of domestic animals in idealized poses are at the heart of 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒇 𝑬𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏’s puzzle pieces where growth and decay are simultaneous. Obtained through the artist’s own blend of common kitchen materials such as cornstarch, vinegar, sunflower oil and glue, the skin-like plasticine meets the partially completed puzzles like a living organism. Pointing to the seasonal adoption of pet animals and their subsequent abandonment simultaneously, the surface which seems expanding, flowing, is showing cracks and shining a light on care as much as on indifference. This entanglement of creativity and destruction affects not only pet animals but also the potential inhabitants of summer houses, underlining the performative character of caring for animals, as an extension of self-improvement, healing and relaxation practices such as puzzle-making. 

📷: Nazlı Erdemirel
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®️

𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝑺𝒐𝒌𝒐𝒍’s solo exhibition is currently on view at ARKEN Museum until February 4th, 2024. 

‘𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘚𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘚𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘭 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴. 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯’.
— Dorthe Juul Rugaard, Senior Curator

Portraits: Lasse Dearman | Courtesy of the artist and

Congratulations to 𝑳𝒆𝒚𝒍𝒂 𝑮𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒛 whose work 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘳 received the Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize exhibition.

𝑮𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒛’s practice relies on constructing a mode of representation wherein painting and installation are employed as virtually inseparable media, modifying the viewer’s experience of painting as a result.

Launched in 2021, The Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize increases the international exposure of artists in Portugal or of the Portuguese diaspora, whilst raising funds for arts education programmes in the country.

𝑮𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒛 completed her MA in Visual Arts at Goldsmiths College (London, 1999) and a BA in Fine Art (Painting) at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL (London, 1998). She had solo exhibitions in London, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Zurich, Helsinki and Amsterdam. Her work has been widely exhibited and is included in prestigious public and private collections such as Istanbul Modern, Arter (Istanbul), ARCO Foundation (Spain) and Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven).

Leylâ Gediz will have two exhibitions in Portugal in 2024.

THE PILL® is thrilled to announce 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s upcoming solo exhibition at opening in March 2024: 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥.

The commission will connect the crescent shape of The Curve gallery to the curling form of the Arabic letter Zayin (ز). This is the first letter of the word ‘Zamel’, a derogatory term for gay men deriving from ‘Zamil’, meaning close or intimate friend. In the Maghreb, the buzzing of this consonant is used insidiously, insinuating the slur without explicitly voicing it. 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊 takes the transformation of Zamil into Zamel as his starting point to investigate the ways in which language has been coded and weaponised. In doing so, he reveals how homophobia continues to threaten not only same-sex sexuality but undermines the possibility of intimate, non-heteronormative relationships based on radical forms of friendship.

Living and working between Paris, France, and Tangier, Morocco, 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s interdisciplinary practice encompasses drawing, sculpture, installation, and performance. His work cites sources from sociology, philosophy, and the canon of western gay subculture, and is often inspired by real and fictitious encounters with other men. 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s previous works have demonstrated a shared fascination with probing gender roles, social dynamics, and eroticism through his characteristically kaleidoscopic lens. He considers the lingering legacy of colonial structures in homophobia, racism, and what might pass as socially acceptable expressions of intimacy. Humour and irreverence are ever-present, subverting the notes of violence which darken the horizons of the work and resisting the strained reality of living and working in Morocco, a place where homosexuality remains illegal.  


𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 / 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 2023.
Credit: Rebecca Fanuele

𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒇 𝑬𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏’s exhibition titled 𝘐𝘕 𝘉𝘓𝘖𝘖𝘔 is currently on view at the gallery. The exhibition activates a collective memory in Turkey, reviving dreams of modernity during 1980s and 1990s anchored by the cultural innovation of summer vacation and housing.

Operating like an immersive installation, the exhibition is centered around a series of marble sculptures representing housing models, found landscape paintings, puzzle pieces and photographic prints sourced from the artist’s personal archive; all intricately linked to the concept of “home”.

Credit: Nazlı Erdemirel
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®️

Farewell Vincent.

We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of curator Vincent Honoré who was a radical thinker whose vision impacted curatorial practices and the lives of many artists.
He exhibited many artists of the gallery including Soufiane Ababri, Mireille Blanc, Raphaël Barontini, Eva Nielsen, Elsa Sahal and Apolonia Sokol.
His intelligence, audacity and generosity will be missed.
Rest in power dear Vincent 🤍

Join us tomorrow at the gallery from 5 — 7 pm for the opening reception of 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒇 𝑬𝒓𝒌𝒂𝒏’s second solo show in Istanbul, 𝘐𝘯 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮.
A guided tour will be held at 6.30 pm.

Titled IN BLOOM, the exhibition explores summer vacation and summer housing as a cultural invention specific to a certain period in the modernisation of Turkey, which holds together evolving concepts around work life balance, performance and social class as well as land use and housing development as colonizing activities.
In the modernist project, while summer vacation was a mean to engineer lifestyles and manage the productivity of the middle class work force through calculated relaxation times and leisure activities, the coastal construction boom was engineering the landscape, turning coastal land into building plots. Erkan’s installation activates this collective memory in Turkey, with strong affective ties to past dreams of modernity anchored in the bygone era of 1980s and 1990s liberal development policies, and the ensuing collective disillusionment.

Grounded in a process-oriented approach to sculpture and installation, Elif Erkan’s artistic practice focuses on the affective and psychological associations of traditional sculptural materials combined with everyday objects of contemporary consumerism in narrative constellations that bridge ancient mythologies and pop culture. Drawing from her background in photography, Elif Erkan’s process involves simultaneously the material event and the material documentation of the event.

T H E P I L L ® proudly announces Elif Erkan’s second solo exhibition at the gallery between the dates 30 November 2023 — 20 January 2024.
Titled ℑ𝔫 𝔅𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔪, the exhibition explores summer vacation and summer housing as a cultural invention specific to a certain period in the modernisation of Turkey, which holds together evolving concepts around work life balance, performance and social class as well as land use and housing development as colonizing activities.

Grounded in a process-oriented approach to sculpture and installation, Elif Erkan’s artistic practice focuses on the affective and psychological associations of traditional sculptural materials combined with everyday objects of contemporary consumerism in narrative constellations that bridge ancient mythologies and pop culture. Drawing from her background in photography, Elif Erkan’s process involves simultaneously the material event and the material documentation of the event.

Elif Erkan holds a BA from Städelschule Frankfurt (2013) and MFA from Otis College for Art and Design, Los Angeles (2016). Her solo exhibitions include La Bocca Della Vérita, Ve.sch Kunstverein (Vienna, 2023); What is it that possesses me? Weiss Berlin (Berlin, 2018); Bag Answers, Kunstverein Heidelberg (Heidelberg, 2017); Ex Oriente Lux, Park View (Los Angeles, 2016); Konzentration der Kräfte, Kunsthalle Portikus (Frankfurt, 2015) and M.E. - I like your backpack, WIELS (Brussels, 2014). She has participated in recent group shows such as Sculpture Garden, Geneva Biennale (Geneva, 2022); To Exhibit in Case of Emergency, Cité international des Arts (Paris, 2021); What Remains Is What The Poets Found, PS120 (Berlin, 2019); Work Loves Me, Lanserhaus (Bolzano, 2018); Paroxysm of Union, Kunsthalle Freeport (Athens, 2017) and Capital Debt, Territory, Utopia, Hamburger Bahnhof (Berlin, 2016). Elif Erkan was the recipient of a residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, with the Hessische Kulturstiftung Grant and in 2015-2016 she received the Villa Aurora Berlin fellowship with the DAAD Travel Grant USA.
Elif Erkan (b. 1985, Ankara, Turkey) currently lives and works in Vienna.

𝓢𝓸𝓾𝓯𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓮 𝓐𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓻𝓲 is currently on view at 𝘚𝘖𝘓! in MO.CO, Montpellier. The regional biennale’s second edition titled 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘭 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦, draws inspiration from the Marquis de Sade and a little-known episode in Montpellier’s history, where he is believed to have met the young woman that would later become his muse for the heroine of his first novel.

Following the example of the historical figure, the body and language, allies for the transgression of social, moral and institutional norms, sit at the core of the exhibited works.

The exhibition runs through January 28, 2024.


📷: Pauline Rosen-Cros

𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 / 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘦 & 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘹 𝘎𝘰𝘯𝘻𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘻-𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴

𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s large scale 𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 is an intimate take on Gonzalez-Torres’ renown photography of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas’ shared tombstone in Paris. Depicted as embraced by 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s own arms and in vibrant colors, the drawing touches upon the romantic couple as an exchange of energy, a hierarchical structure and as a potential of material transmutation stretching beyond the grip of death, loss and grief to become a source of emancipation for q***r communities in motion across time and space. The characteristic flattened perspective serves to collapse distances and spatial hierarchies to re-arrange values associated to figure and background.

𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s exhibition 𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘈 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘵 is on view through November 5.

📷: Nazlı Erdemirel
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®

𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 / 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘹

This drawing by 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊 is a subjective visual rendering of the published conversation between Ross Bleckner and Felix Gonzalez-Torres in 1995. It stages the two artists in a ritualistic exchange of ideas, substances and clothing items such as socks, set around a kitchen table, atop a carpet filled with rose window ornamentations, emphasizing a sense of divine space and transcendence reached through the body. The drawing features a prominent light source that touches parts of the objects within the frame while obscuring others, creating an inlaid structure that reveals Ababri’s personal color codes, in a critical engagement with race and visibility.

𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s exhibition 𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘈 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘵 is on view through November 5.

📷: Nazlı Erdemirel
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®

𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 / 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘦 & 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘹 𝘎𝘰𝘯𝘻𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘻-𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴

𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s large scale 𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 is an intimate take on Gonzalez-Torres’ renown photography of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas’ shared tombstone in Paris. Depicted as embraced by 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s own arms and in vibrant colors, the drawing touches upon the romantic couple as an exchange of energy, a hierarchical structure and as a potential of material transmutation stretching beyond the grip of death, loss and grief to become a source of emancipation for q***r communities in motion across time and space. The characteristic flattened perspective serves to collapse distances and spatial hierarchies to re-arrange values associated to figure and background.

𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s exhibition 𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘈 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘵 is on view through November 5.

📷: Nazlı Erdemirel
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®

𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 / 𝘈 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘵’𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘥

Critically and humourously engaging with the intimacy of the bed in its associations with the body and the subconscious, 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s works reveal the underlying vulnerability in expressions of masculinity.

Here, the work centers around the space underneath the bed as the loci of fears and fantasies stretched between horror and eroticism. The partially visible human figure stands in lieu of an imaginary, racialized q***r community while the bottle of Moroccan wine references both the colonial period in Morocco and Dyonisian rituals of emotional catharsis. The drawing features a prominent light source that touches parts of the objects within the frame while obscuring others, creating an inlaid structure that interweaves what’s readily visible and what remains hidden, in a critical engagement with history, memory and transmission.

𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊’s exhibition 𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘈 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘵 is on view through November 5.

📷: Nazlı Erdemirel
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®

On view now: 𝓢𝓸𝓾𝓯𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓮 𝓐𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓻𝓲’s solo exhibition 𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘈 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘵.

The exhibition explores recovery and appropriation of art historical anecdotes and conversations as tactics of defense and proliferation against capture, reaching out towards q***r love as a utopian horizon: never fixed, always moving, translating and transfiguring meanings like a trickster along shifting cultural and political contexts. The exhibition precedes Ababri’s first major UK solo show at the Barbican, London in March 2024, and features the latest works from Ababri’s ongoing series “bedworks” alongside a series of new glass sculptures and an immersive installation.

In one of his last recorded conversations with Ross Bleckner from 1995, artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres recounts: “People would say, “Can I come to your studio?” And, I’d say, “Sure, but my studio is underneath my bed.” Activating this historical conversation around q***r love, sickness and loss, and how it all translates into art and artistic practice, Soufiane Ababri invites the spectators to take part in a trans-historical imaginary exchange between himself, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Ross Bleckner and a few other participants to be announced.

📷: Nazlı Erdemirel
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®️

Discover 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓥𝓮𝓻𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓶's Tectonies at the exhibition 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘴, curated by Anlam de Coster at Zeyrek Çinili Hamam, one of the most noteworthy examples of Ottoman hammam architecture, an exceptional cultural heritage site built by Mimar Sinan in the 16th century.

The exhibition draws inspiration from the layers of the past uncovered by the bath’s restoration that became a meticulous archaeological excavation, and the healing properties of the hammam while also being an uncanny site for intimacy, secrets and unusual encounters — a site of intertwined collective mythologies.

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘴 runs between September 30 — November 5, 2023.

Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®️
Credit: Hadiye Cangökçe

Opening today!

Join us between 5-8 pm for the opening & performance on the occasion of 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊's second solo show with the gallery titled in Istanbul, 𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘈 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘵.

In a conversation with Ross Bleckner from 1995, artist Felix Gonzales-Torres recounts “People would say, “Can I come to your studio?” And, I’d say, “Sure, but my studio is underneath my bed.”

Activating this historical conversation around art and artistic practice in the most intimate setting, 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊 invites the spectators to take part in a trans-historical imaginary exchange between himself, Felix Gonzales-Torres and Ross Bleckner taking place in the bedroom.

The performance will be held at 6:45 pm

Image:
Soufiane Ababri
Bedwork / Gertrude & Alice after Feliz Gonzales Torres
2023
Color and wax pencil on paper
160 x 170 cm
Unique
Courtesy of the artist & The Pill

We are proud to announce 𝓞𝔃𝓵𝓮𝓶 𝓐𝓵𝓽𝓲𝓷 receiver of the Hannah-Höch-Förderpreis, awarded every two years by the Cultural Administration of the Berlin Senate to support the artistic developpment of Berlin based women artists.
The award exhibition will be held at the in the summer of 2024, accompanied by a publication.

𝓞𝔃𝓵𝓮𝓶 𝓐𝓵𝓽𝓲𝓷’s research focuses on the articulations between inanimate body parts and the artefact in motion. Her collages and photographic constellations operate like graphic notations towards a dramaturgy of motion in space and time, investigating compatibilities, translations and adaptations between the human body, animal and vegetal parts, cultural artefacts and language.

Her work has been included in important group shows such as 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (2022); 𝘛𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦, Villa Romana, (Florence, 2021); 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴: 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺, MoMA online (2020); 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘩, Göteburg International Biennial for Contemporary Art (Gothenburg, 2019); 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵, 16th Istanbul Biennial (2019); 𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰, 10th Berlin Biennale (2018).

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𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 (𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦) detail, 2022
Photo print on canvas with ink and oil

We are pleased to announce the season opening with 𝓢𝓸𝓾𝓯𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓮 𝓐𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓻𝓲’s solo exhibition 𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘵 between 21 September — 05 November 2023.

The exhibition precedes 𝓐𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓻𝓲’s first major UK solo show at the Barbican, London in 2024 and explores recovery and appropriation as tactics of defense and proliferation to sustain an emancipatory horizon despite hardening positions around fixed gender identities.

Besides a series of new glass sculptures and an immersive installation, the exhibition features the latest works from 𝓐𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓻𝓲’s ongoing series 𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴, produced  from a horizontal bodily position using crayons and pastels on paper, further emphasizing the privacy and affect of the bedroom and instead of the studio.

A performance will be held during the opening reception at 6.45 pm.

𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 / 𝘈 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘵’𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘥 (2023)

Congratulations to 𝓔𝓿𝓪 𝓝𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓮𝓷 whose work has joined the prestigious MOCA Collection in Los Angeles.

The ongoing series titled Lucite, intimately connects with the artist's profound fascination to the notion of dazzle and all the meanings it embodies. Rendered through a superimposition of photographic capture, genre painting and techniques of assemblage, these subliminal landscapes offer a kaleidoscopic view over the modernist project in all of its contradictions and achieve a semblance of arrested motion.

Her recent exhibitions include 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦, Les Rencontres d’Arles; 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 16th Lyon Biennial (2022); 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, 23rd Pernod Ricard Foundation Prize Exhibition (2022).

𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘝𝘐 (2017)
Ink, acrylic and print on canvas

𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂, 𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂 — 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒔

We are pleased to announce that 𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂, 𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂 is selected by the national 𝘖𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳 committee amongst Denmark's candidates for the 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘮 category.

A coproduction of HBO Max and Danish Documentary, 𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂, 𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂 is a feature film on the life of painter Apolonia Sokol directed by Léa Glob who followed the artist's life and career over a decade. The documentary had a sweeping run at film festivals across the globe, including Best Feature Length documentary at IDFA, Best Documentary at Hong Kong International Film Festival and Best Nordic Documentary at Goteborg Film Festival.

French figurative painter of Danish and Polish descent, Sokol graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris in 2015 and moved first to New York then to Los Angeles where she found a community of artists to exchange around figurative painting.
Using the art of portraiture as a tool of political empowerment, Apolonia Sokol’s figurative paintings introduce portraiture and autofiction into scenes inspired by canonical works from art history and contemporary issues around feminism and identity. Reflecting on gendered representation throughout history and body politics, her paintings often depict her friends, lovers and collaborators as icons of radical subjectivity, bound together by alternative kinships, surrounding, protecting and elevating each other. Sokol’s paintings are characterized by her close relationships and intimacy with the models she paints, at times also inviting painter friends to work collaboratively.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this project.





The artist’s monographic exhibition will open at in October.

Image: Apolonia Sokol in Rome at the Villa Medici during her residency in 2021.
Analog photograph: Suela J.Cennet.

Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®

Founder of THE PILL® Suela J. Cennet’s portrait is highlighted on Artsy!

“𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘑. 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮…”
Read the full story through the link in bio.

Heartfelt thanks to and for the feature and to all our artists and friends who empower us along the journey 🤍

𝑬𝒍𝒔𝒂 𝑺𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒍’s Venus is currently on view in 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦 at Fondation Villa Datris, Paris.

The artist’s ceramic fountain portrays Venus, the Roman goddess of love and feminine beauty associated with knowledge, and therefore polymathy and with the pleasure of climax — as its title indicates. The fountain is part of a long series of sculptures representing the female body or the figure of Venus itself, previously shown at the gallery in 2020, during the artist’s solo exhibition 𝘏𝘦𝘺, 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘭 𝘉𝘦𝘺!

𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘝𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘴, 2019
Enamelled ceramic and hydraulic system.

📷: Manuel Teles & Kayhan Kaygusuz
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®

For inquiries: [email protected]

We are thrilled to share 𝘐𝘕𝘚𝘖𝘓𝘈𝘙𝘌, the BMW Art Makers program winners 𝙀𝙫𝙖 𝙉𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙣 and 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣’s project, currently on view at the 54th edition of the photography festival in Arles!

Through a poetic and scientific approach, the project reflects the evolving landscape of the Camargue region. Taking on optical and hydrogeological phenomena and combining them with exposure to light (insolation), a technique used in screen printing; 𝙀𝙫𝙖 𝙉𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙣 evokes the changes in the environment that lead to the disappearance of certain urban, industrial and natural landscapes, where the human footprint is still at stake.

The exhibition runs until September 24 at Cloitre Saint-Trophime.

📷: Salim Santa Lucia
Courtesy of the artist and BMW Art Makers

« Toying with resemblance, 𝑴𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄 uses the word “brouiller” to describe the way she works with the digital photos she takes on a simple camera phone.
Translating to English as scrambled, the term begs for a gourmand metaphor of a creamy plate of eggs, which is sort of what becomes of Van Gogh’s iconic sunflowers printed on a sweatshirt and stirred with an Air Jordan printed bag strap. The source image for Blanc’s large-scale canvas 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒔 (2022), she snapped her composition waiting in line at an amusement park. It’s a compositional recipe that combines Blanc’s ongoing fascination with the Impressionist painter and her attention to the iconography of the everyday.»

— Lillian Davies
24 April 2023, in Elaine Alain

davies

We are proud to announce İʀᴇᴍ ɢᴜɴᴀʏᴅɪɴ's ongoing fellowship residency at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, an institution founded by artists in 1978 as a vital space for rethinking the means by which art is produced. The distinct identity of the institution is continually formed by this insistence that artists’ work-life conditions be given equal consideration with experimental approaches to the exhibition, distribution, and reception of art.

ɢᴜɴᴀʏᴅɪɴ, whose work explores the relationship between text and image, and the ways in which words and images circulate between discursive and pictorial realms, investigating the objecthood of language and the grammar of images, is unique fit for such a programme. Her practice is often generated through writing and unfolds as installations gathering moving images, objects and sculptural elements while writing functions as a fulcrum. She draws inspiration from art history, literature, film and music, deconstructing the canon with minor narratives and contemporary popular media.

Installation views from 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘔𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘐 — the artist’s second solo show held at the gallery in December 2022 🍏

📷: Kayhan Kaygusuz
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®

ᴏᴢʟᴇᴍ ᴀʟᴛɪɴ is currently on view at Artspace Aotearoa in 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 curated by Ruth Buchanan.

Spanning multiple generations and contexts, this exhibition explores the ways in which the body is never simply a passive receiver but is essential to the shaping of the lens through which we access the world. Counter to many of the impulses of corrective violence normalised in the 20th century, these bodies play a tune of the ecstatic form. The instruments used are revolt, resistance, collapse, reverence, reform, and regeneration.


𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 (𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵), 2023
Courtesy of the artist and THE PILL®

📷: Andreas Müller

𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 runs through August 18 at .aotearoa in New Zealand.

ᴀᴘᴏʟᴏɴɪᴀ sᴏᴋᴏʟ is currently featured in 𝓕𝓪𝓷𝓬𝔂 𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓯𝓲𝓮𝓼 on view at Zoo Galerie until September 9.

Curated by Patrice Jolly, the exhibition reveals the shifting nature of the self-portrait throughout History. Born from a desire for emancipation, the practice grew into an exploration of identity. From Andy Warhol to Apolonia Sokol, the self-portrait remains an unrivaled tool for artists seeking to break society’s norms and taboos. Through the highlighting of an artistic practice that has never ceased to reinvent itself, 𝓕𝓪𝓷𝓬𝔂 𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓯𝓲𝓮𝓼 investigates the place of the artist in a society where the over-circulation of the self-image via digital tools obliterates the reflections linked to the display of one's own appearance.

Participating artists:
ᴄʜᴇᴄʜᴜ ᴀʟᴀᴠᴀ, ʏᴀɴᴀ ʙᴀᴄʜʏɴsᴋᴀ, ᴇᴍɪʟɪᴇ ʙʀᴏᴜᴛ & ᴍᴀxɪᴍᴇ ᴍᴀʀɪᴏɴ, sᴏʟᴇɴɴᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴇʟʟᴇ, ɴɪɴᴀ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇss, ʏᴀɴɴɪᴄᴋ ɢᴀɴsᴇᴍᴀɴ, ʟᴇᴀɴɴ ᴋᴇʀʀɪᴇɴ, ᴊᴀᴄǫᴜᴇs ʟɪᴢᴇɴᴇ, ᴊᴜʟɪᴇɴ ᴍᴇᴇʀᴛ, ᴄᴀᴍɪʟʟᴇ ᴘɪᴄǫᴜᴏᴛ,
ᴍᴏʟʟʏ sᴏᴅᴀ, ᴀᴘᴏʟᴏɴɪᴀ sᴏᴋᴏʟ, ᴘɪᴇʀʀɪᴄᴋ sᴏʀɪɴ ᴇᴛ ᴀɴᴅʏ ᴡᴀʀʜᴏʟ.

Image courtesy of the artist and .galerie

We are pleased to announce 2023 𝗕𝗠𝗪 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 winners 𝘌𝘷𝘢 𝘕𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦𝘯 and 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯's project 𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕆𝕃𝔸ℝ𝔼 opening on July 3rd at Cloître Saint-Trophime as part of the Rencontres Photographiques d'Arles.

The project takes place in the rural and industrial surroundings of Arles, extending into the Camargue region which becomes a zone of experimentation for Nielsen. By investigating the essential qualities of the saline environment, the artist explores optical and hydrogeological phenomena, incorporating the technique of light exposure (insolation) used in screen printing. Through the overlaying of silk screen images and paintings, Nielsen presents a fragmented vision of these areas, capturing the movement and circulation of living zones in response to natural forces such as drought and rising water levels.
Combining photography and painting, the works embody the ever-changing nature of the region, sometimes leading to the disappearance of certain land areas.

The 𝗕𝗠𝗪 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 enables the collaboration between an artist and curator, allowing them to create an experimental work in contemporary photography and spatial installation.

Images courtesy of the artist and BMW Art Makers.

THE PILL® is proud to announce 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙛𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝘼𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙧𝙞’s first solo exhibition at a major UK institution in March 2024.

The Morocco born artist is known for his 𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴, works on paper made lying in a bed.
In essence, Ababri examines the ambivalence of a society that is crisscrossed by tensions that are not so much the reflection of its contradictions, but rather of its complementarity.
His heritage lies in his own story, built up by layer upon layer of personal and intimate events. A lover of sociology, Ababri’s entire body of work plays with the idea of seeing: the artist observes a world that observes him in a form of introspection combining his own unique perception, shared representations and accepted social facts in an exercise that is reminiscent of Persian miniatures and their subtle play with what is hidden and what is revealed.

Image courtesy: The Barbican

In his text titled 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 written for this exhibition, art historian and critic Barry Schwabsky insists on the “sculptural” quality of Nielsen’s work, suspended between motion and stillness, where the central figure is the animate artefact and the human figure is but a passing shadow.

"In her work everything is strange, everything is familiar. We recognize our danger, but also our freedom. We glimpse the inhuman beauty of it all”.
– Barry Schwabsky

Visit 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘐𝘐𝘐 at THE PILL® | Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm 💊.