LANDING PROHIBITED
Maaria Wirkkala’s Landing Prohibited, an installation which was displayed at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007 and acquired the same year by the Arter Collection, meets the audiences in Istanbul for the first time. The exhibition curated by Nilüfer Şaşmazer will be on view at Arter’s 1st-floor gallery between 19 September 2024 and 23 February 2025.
The fragments of broken glass, used by the artist to create a rough, treacherous sea that makes it impossible to reach the shore, come from the Venini Glass Factory on the island of Murano in Venice, Inspired by the “Landing prohibited” warning sign, frequently displayed along the canals of Venice, Maaria draws a parallel between this phrase and the anti-immigrant stance that prevails in many parts of the world, and references the perilous sea journeys undertaken by immigrants, which often end in tragedy.
The fifth book of the Arter Close-Up series offers an in-depth look at Maaria Wirkkala’s installation Landing Prohibited. The publication includes an introduction text by Nilüfer Şaşmazer, the curator of the exhibition, as well as a comprehensive interview she conducted with the artist, presenting the artwork in greater detail.