YILMAZ ZENGER EXHIBITION

This exhibition was prepared by Studio-X Istanbul in parallel with the archival work carried out under the SALT Research Architecture and Design Archive. A separate selection of works of Yılmaz Zenger was simultaneously exhibited at SALT Galata. When completed, the SALT Research, Yılmaz Zenger Archive will be available online.

The introductory text of the exhibition held at Studio-X Istanbul between 16 November 2018 and 15 February 2019:

“Architect, interior designer, furniture-accessory-decor designer, industrial designer, photographer, filmmaker, sound and image expert, painter, sculptor, teacher, writer. Science and technology follower, user, developer. Manufacturer, product developer using composite materials. Advocate of city rights and urban rights. He has a passion for sharing his knowledge and develops design whether it is his or not. For some he is a “man of Renaissance” and, for others he is a “genius”. He adopted the title of “dreamer” among all the names used for him; he often describes himself as “problem-solver”. With all these aspects, Yılmaz Zenger has lived a productive life, which is hard to come across. He has left long lasting footprints behind him; and it is up to us to trace these footprints, record, analyze, share, reinterpret and re-share them.

We have set forth the exhibition and the accompanying archival work as a first step to enter his world. This work has started with him. It evolved with the contributions of the people he referred to. Architects, interior designers, designers, photographers, artists, art consultants, material, production and health professionals, advertisers, publishers, employers, academicians, students, his family and foremen—in other words his companions—have stepped up as individuals reflecting his world of production and ideas and contributed to the documentation process with their words, writings, and archives.

A study has also been carried out on the personal archive of Yılmaz Zenger with the aim of opening it to researchers. A literature review was carried out, especially on periodicals. We wish that his products, works, and the archive including this collection contributes to new interpretations in the future, in accordance with the wishes of Yılmaz Zenger, who has left among us at one point, after entrusting his work to us.”