Contemporary art from Colombia travels to Turkish capital

The Cer Modern museum in the Turkish capital of Ankara is preparing to host art from Colombia in its upcoming exhibition that will go on display later this month. Titled "Irregular Hexagon: Colombian Art in Residence," the Cer Modern show is part of a project that features the work of six Colombian artists, showcased as solo exhibitions in six different art institutions in a diverse selection of six countries -- Vietnam, Morocco, Israel, Australia and Singapore, in addition to Turkey. The project’s Ankara stint, scheduled to open on July 31, will feature the work of artist Gabriel Sierra, who arrived in the capital a week ago, according to a statement from the Colombian Embassy in Ankara. Sierra’s works "combine erudite references to the history of art and design with vernacular traditions and are imbued with humor and a certain sense of the absurd," the embassy statement said. In his Cer Modern exhibition, Sierra (who trained as an industrial designer) proposes a series of pieces made of wood and fabric that deal with how space is reconfigured. The artist uses the pieces as models for the viewer to play with. "Irregular Hexagon" is expected to bolster interaction between Colombian contemporary artists and their avant-garde peers in the six countries chosen for the project. The initiative is aimed at "furthering the presence of Colombia in countries where new diplomatic relations are being created or reinforced," the statement added. The Cer Modern, located in Ankara’s Sihhiye district, near the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Concert Hall, across from the Ankara Opera House, is currently home to two exhibitions. The first is a photography collection titled "Mexican Worlds," which offers a selection from the works of 25 contemporary photographers, and it continues until Sept. 16. The other exhibition, "The Art of Escher and His Contemporaries," featuring the work of 20th-century Dutch printmaker Maurits Cornelis Escher and printmakers artistically related to him, runs until Aug. 5. The museum is closed on Monday.