Tracing Empire and Reinvention Between Two Cities in a Group Exhibition at the Turkish Consulate

From April 17th to May 1st, Metropoli, a group exhibition curated by Lara Bayer, will be on view at The Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in New York. Metropoli explores the evolving relationship between two cosmopolitan giants: New York City and Istanbul. Though geographically distant and shaped by different cultural and historical ideologies, both hold their weight empires in the global setting.

For the curator, New York City is considered the “modern” empire —a central hub of innovation and cultural evolution —while Istanbul carries the title in a more literal, historical sense. “Istanbul’s history is something I grew up inside of,” Bayer says. “It is a city that holds the memory of an empire and reinvention at the same time. New York… reinvents itself daily, thrives on ambition and contradiction, and has long been a magnet for artistic experimentation and urban transformation.” Reinvention and historical layering set the foundation of Metropoli, as it invites audiences to consider the lasting impressions of urban life through architecture, emotion, and memory. “Cities operate through tension,” she notes. “They’re filled with beauty and chaos, structure and spontaneity. I wanted the show to reflect on how those forces leave their mark—both externally and psychologically.”

Featuring ten international artists—Ali Bilge Akkaya, Çiğdem Aky, Logan Criley, Jordan Doner, Sedef Gali, Nick Hobbs, Leasho Johnson, Hasan Kale, Murat Palta, and Çağla Ulusoy—Metropoli captures a wide range of responses to the modern metropolis. Akkaya is based in Istanbul and accredited for his photography, Aky is a Munich-based painter, Criley is a painter in Los Angeles, Doner is New York based and focuses on creating intimate drawings based on societal matters as well as nature, Gali is Istanbul-born and based between Istanbul and New York where she is known for her painting as well as her creative direction assistance, Hobbs is a New York based artist known for his drawings, Leasho is a visual artist based in Chicago, Kale is an Istanbul-based micro-artist known for his intricate miniature paintings, Palta is an illustrator based in Istanbul and Ulusoy is an artist based in Istanbul.

Bayer continues to tell art currently: “Curating Metropoli began with a desire to explore how cities shape the people who move through them and how those impressions, both visible and internal, can be expressed through contemporary art. The questions behind the show developed gradually, through research, writing, and conversations with artists.”And when asked why the Consulate, she explains “The Consulate General of Türkiye in New York serves as both a diplomatic outpost and a cultural bridge, a space that reflects Turkish presence abroad while fostering dialogue between Türkiye and the United States.

In many ways, it feels like a small piece of Türkiye within the urban fabric of New York, which made it a fitting and symbolic venue for Metropoli. The show explores how the two cities of Istanbul and New York function as metropolises shaped by history, transformation, and identity. Presenting that conversation within a space that physically embodies one culture inside another made the exhibition feel connected to its setting.That being said, the curatorial direction remained entirely independent. I had full freedom in selecting the artists and shaping the framework of the show. The Consul General was very supportive of the project and especially enthusiastic that two of the non-Turkish artists, Jordan Doner and Logan Criley, chose to create new works after researching Turkish history and cultural symbolism. That kind of engagement felt meaningful. It brought something personal into the broader conversation I was trying to shape with the show.”