Origins II

Opening on 4th October Miart Gallery proudly presents Origins II — a group exhibition that reimagines “origin” not as a fixed point, but as a layered dialogue between past and present. Origins II continues an artistic dialogue which commenced with Origins I, while deepening the narrative of the first chapter. The exhibition represents a shift from ideas of cultural, spiritual and personal genesis to the reformation and transformation of those foundations. 

Origins II has an international feel and the featured artists – Çağlar Tağcı, Johnathan Schultz, Kadir Akyol, Lars Beusker, Selda Güneş and Thannyo De Freitas – are from Cuba, Germany, South Africa and Turkey. 

At the heart of the Origins II exhibition are themes of layered origins, material as memory and tensions in balance. 

• Layered Origins: Moving beyond a singular narrative to a multi-temporal dialogue.
• Material as Memory: Gold leaf, textiles, light, and shadow as carriers of value, fragility, and resilience.
• Tensions in Balance: Tradition versus innovation, chaos versus order, ephemerality versus endurance.

Origins II is curated by Irem Deniz, founder and director of Miart Gallery, and the exhibition embodies the gallery’s ongoing mission to champion bold, interdisciplinary, and globally diverse artistic voices. Deniz, whose curatorial vision has previously brought together works by Banksy, Auguste Rodin, Lorenzo Quinn, Lars Beusker, and Wolfgang Stiller, approaches this exhibition not simply as a continuation, but as a reimagining of the very concept of “origin.”

For Deniz, Origins II is less about locating a single beginning than about mapping the cycles of memory, inheritance, and transformation that shape both art and life. By placing side by side artists who traverse different geographies and mediums–ranging from gilded symbolism and ethereal landscapes to cosmic abstraction and intimate portraiture–she constructs a space where tradition and innovation are held in productive tension.

The exhibition ultimately serves as a meditation on transformation itself: a reminder that every beginning carries the possibility of renewal, that fragility can give way to resilience, and that identity is always in the process of being redefined. In this sense, Origins II reflects not only Miart Gallery’s curatorial ethos but also its wider ambition to bridge East and West, past and future, permanence and change–inviting audiences into an encounter that is both personal and universal

Venue details