Artwork by Emir Erkaya

Location: Büyük Valide Han

September 14th – 28th

daily – 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Pilot Galeri Istanbul presents The Snake Charmer’s Garden, a solo exhibition by Emir Erkaya, opening September 4, 2025.

The show invites viewers into a world where history, mythology, and storytelling intertwine, from ancient rituals to Anatolia’s oral traditions. At its core are metaphorical ‘gardens,’ evoking cycles of life, ruins, and diversity, while reflecting today’s political, social, and ecological unrest.

For Midas Touch, Emir Erkaya abstracts the theme of loneliness through a golden figure — an echo of King Midas, whose gift became a curse. The golden man in this artwork, much like Midas, appears ensnared by his own radiance. The emptiness surrounding him is not merely physical; it is also a metaphor for the spiritual void left following material excess. His gilded body embodies the modern idols of power and wealth, while the nothingness around him whispers of the emotional poverty such idols can bring.

Just as in Midas’ story, gold here is not a blessing but a curse. In mythology, the king was eventually freed from his power through desperate pleas — but for the modern “golden man,” redemption is far less certain. Perhaps the work compels the viewer to ask: “Are we aware of our own magnificent loneliness?”

Emir Erkaya creates figurative paintings rooted in personal, social, and political histories, often highlighting stories and subcultures overlooked by mainstream narratives. His work confronts tensions of power, gender, and desire while preserving purity in his subjects.