Hanefi Yeter – Works in the foyer of the SPD parliamentary group in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament

Around 40 guests attended the opening of the exhibition by artist Hanefi Yeter in the foyer of the SPD parliamentary group in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament. In cooperation with the ANNA LAUDEL gallery, the parliamentary group is presenting over twenty works from the past two years, which provide a multi-faceted insight into Yeter's current work.

Visitors took advantage of the opportunity to experience the artist's paintings and painted clay pots up close. Yeter's works address the increasing alienation of modern humans from nature, society and themselves. The works encourage reflection on ecological crises, consumer habits and disrupted forms of communication. The exhibition was organised by the British Council in collaboration with the British Council's cultural programme in Turkey.

Particularly striking was a series of painted amphorae and vases from Ayvalık, which were crafted using traditional techniques and transformed into individual objects through Yeter's artistic intervention. These works combine the craft heritage of the Turkish Mediterranean region with a contemporary visual language, while also referring to cultural roots and social contexts. The fragile materiality of the ceramics contrasted impressively with the modern architecture of glass and steel in the exhibition space. The proximity to the Rhine flowing directly past also lent the presentation a poetic dimension.

The curatorial implementation also attracted a great deal of attention: the central main work, Yeters, was aligned axially with the architecture of the room and the Rhine, thus opening up a new line of sight between the window fronts. Many visitors highlighted the immersive spatial experience created by the interplay of art and architecture.

For over five decades, Hanefi Yeter has been exploring the relationship between humans and nature, as well as the existential tensions of our time. The exhibition opening impressively demonstrated how powerful his expressive figuration and abstract reflections on current social issues remain today.

The exhibition can be visited Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment with Ms Daniela Kämper (daniela.kaemper@landtag.nrw.de) in the foyer of the SPD parliamentary group in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament.