The exhibition “Converging Waters, Blossoming Hopes,” realized in collaboration with Diageo Turkey, brings together 15 artists from different generations to explore themes of the city, nature, and hope. By making invisible bonds visible, the exhibition conveys the power of art’s collective resilience to the audience.

By İdil Sancar September 28, 2025 – Issue 30 / Special Interview

The post-pandemic silence of cities, the re-sprouting of nature, and the infiltration of hope into our lives have left deep marks on artistic production. The exhibition “Converging Waters, Blossoming Hopes” explores these traces at Hope Alkazar on Istiklal Avenue from September 20 to October 27, 2025.

By uniting 15 contemporary artists, the exhibition renders the invisible links between urban life and the natural world tangible. Diageo Turkey supports this creative production while highlighting the role of art in strengthening social bonds. In our interview with General Manager Bahar Uçanlar, we discussed the brand's vision, its approach to supporting young talent, and the social impact of art.

Curator Sinan Eren Erk shared how he treats cities as "bodies" and water as a "unifying metaphor" to convey the healing power of art. The resulting exhibition is not just a viewing experience but a vivid demonstration of creative partnership and the new spaces art opens in collective memory.

İdil Sancar: Culture and arts support holds a major place in Diageo Turkey’s vision. How did this exhibition come about?

Bahar Uçanlar: At Diageo Turkey, we embrace the philosophy of "celebrating life every day, everywhere," born from this land's tradition of sharing. We believe art is one of the most powerful ways to renew this understanding and pass it to future generations. Culture and arts are essential components of our ecosystem, alongside gastronomy and agriculture. Design has never been just a side interest for us; we have supported institutions like İKSV, Kültür A.Ş., and Arter for years. However, this year we took a new step by launching our first self-organized exhibition. This serves as a meeting point where we introduce young names to art lovers and manifest the role of art in strengthening social ties.

İdil Sancar: How do you realize your goal of inspiring young talent, and how do you plan to develop this in the future?

Bahar Uçanlar: Turkey has incredibly talented artists working with great sacrifice to realize their dreams independently. Our priority is to be by their side at that exact moment. You can see how much we draw inspiration from design in our own heritage brands. We are proud to support platforms from the Venice Biennale to the Istanbul Biennial. More importantly, as part of this exhibition, we are hosting approximately 100 design and fine arts students in Istanbul, enabling them to experience both our exhibition and the Istanbul Biennial. We aim to create an environment that nourishes their dreams with inspiration.

İdil Sancar: The metaphors of "the city as a body" and "converging waters" are central here. How did you develop the conceptual framework?

Sinan Eren Erk: According to UN data, about 4.5 billion people live in cities—more than half the global population. The city-as-a-body is a classic literary metaphor seen in works from Kafka’s Metamorphosis to Joyce’s Ulysses. My specific inspiration came from how James Joyce and Sevim Burak used body metaphors to describe urban environments.

The idea of "converging waters" reflects my bond with Istanbul. Despite being physically divided by the Bosphorus, Istanbul is a truly cosmopolitan city that has embraced opposing views throughout history. It is an ecosystem that constantly finds new ways to amaze. I believe urban consciousness is formed by the ability to merge into a flow despite differences—much like the harmony of cells within a single body.

İdil Sancar: How did you choose the artists and works to help the audience experience these bonds?

Sinan Eren Erk: I focus on listening to and observing artists. For this exhibition, I chose 15 artists whose productions I had been following. While some were old acquaintances and others were new to me, I noticed commonalities in their work. The final form of the exhibition emerged through dialogues about their experiences with the city. I believe as visitors explore the details of the works, they will share these human connections.

İdil Sancar: What effect do you observe these themes having on artists today?

Sinan Eren Erk: The pandemic was a global breaking point, followed by financial crises and conflicts. I believe art becomes a much stronger tool of resistance during such times. Throughout history, the first steps toward social hope and healing have often been taken through art. Those working in art never accept defeat; they have a natural immunity to hopelessness. This exhibition shows how artists transform negative urban emotions into a vision for a better, more peaceful world.

İdil Sancar: What kind of dialogue does having 15 artists from different generations create?

Sinan Eren Erk: The exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, illustrations, and digital works. Some are abstract, others realistic or humorous. When I shared the common threads I saw in their work, many were surprised. They all had a connection to this city—they had been in the same places at different times, knew each other’s names, but few had met physically. Bringing their works together creates a vital dialogue. I see this exhibition as a set of possibilities that will trigger new thoughts and feelings in the viewer.