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A new exhibition in Bodrum brings together women artists to reflect on memory, solidarity, and long-standing struggles for equality, with a program that extends beyond visual art into public discussions and collective engagement.
Titled "A Breath of Life" (Bir Hayat Nefesi), the exhibition opened on March 6 and will remain on view until April 8, 2026.
It is organized through a collaboration between Bodrum Municipality and the Bodrum Women’s Solidarity Association (BKDD), with Yaren Akbal as curator and Zuleyha Altintas as art advisor.
The exhibition takes place across two historically significant venues: the Bodrum District Governor’s House and City Museum, where Bodrum’s first female judge, Mefaret Tuzun, once lived, and the former courthouse building now used by the Mediterranean Countries Academy Foundation (Akademia).
The project is structured around the legacy of Mefaret Tuzun, using her life as a reference point to explore themes of justice, equality, and freedom through artistic production.
Organizers aim to reconnect these themes with Bodrum’s local memory and its longer history of women’s rights struggles, which date back to earlier periods in the region.
The exhibition positions art as a space to revisit these histories and make visible the ongoing search for rights and recognition.
The title draws from Clarice Lispector’s book “A Breath of Life,” framing each artwork as a form of expression, pause, and shared experience.
Within this framework, the exhibition treats artistic production as both an individual and collective act tied to women’s lived realities.
The exhibition is designed not only as a display space but as an ongoing public program.
Over the course of a month, visitors are invited to engage with:
This structure aims to transform March 8, International Women’s Day, from a symbolic moment into a longer period of interaction, learning, and solidarity.
Organizers also frame the exhibition as part of a broader network of women’s solidarity in Mugla, extending from Bodrum to the surrounding districts.
"A Breath of Life" brings together works by a wide group of women artists working across different disciplines, including visual art, video, and mixed media.
Participating artists include Benal Dikmen, Betul Akzambaklar, Canan Sonmezdag Zongur, Damla Sari, Ebru Nakamura, Ebru Ugur, Elvan Erdin, Esma Ekiz, Evrim Inan, Funda Comert, Gamze Tasdan, Gulshah Bayraktar, Gozde Mimiko Turkkan, Gulcin Aksoy, Seda Hepsev, and Zuleyha Altintas.
The exhibition also features contributions from the KRE collective (Women, Dreams, Dragons), including Aysecan Kurtay, Aysegul Sagbas, Beyza Boynudelik, Didem Unlu, Furuzan Simsek, and Nur Gurel.
The exhibition is supported by several local institutions and organizations, including the Mugla Metropolitan Municipality Women and Family Services Department, the Mediterranean Countries Academy Foundation, Bodrum Maritime Museum, Mor Salkim Baglari, and Kevser Taliana.
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