Anti-LGBTI+ pressure forces early closure of Eskişehir art exhibition

An artwork "x=y=z" (2019) by Filip Custic displayed at the exhibition

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A modern art exhibition in Eskişehir, central Turkey, has been forced to end prematurely due to an investigation launched by local authorities.

The Provincial Directorate of Culture initiated the probe after certain artworks from the exhibition were shared on social media and accused of promoting "LGBTI+ propaganda."

As a response to the investigation, the Odunpazarı Modern Museum on Tuesday announced the early closure of the exhibition, which was initially scheduled to conclude on July 30. The museum will be closed from July 18 onwards as well, and is expected to remain shut until August 24, citing "preparations for a new exhibition."

The "Grief and Pleasure" (Yas ve Haz) exhibition, unveiled on September 7, 2022, focuses on "mechanisms that allow simultaneous existence of emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust, contempt, and shame, alongside conflicting states of grief and pleasure within the same individual," as stated in its press release.

This incident mirrors a similar situation in İstanbul, where an exhibition at an art center controlled by the opposition-led municipality faced anti-LGBTI+ pressures. The "Starting from the Middle" exhibition at Artİstanbul has also been accused of promoting "LGBTI+ propaganda" by various conservative groups, resulting in multiple protests in recent weeks. Despite the challenges, the exhibition remains open at present. (EMK/VK)