As part of Contemporary Istanbul’s 20th edition and in collaboration with The Peninsula Istanbul, two signature works by Peruvian-American artist Grimanesa Amorós, “PASSAGE” and “MARITIME”, are on display.
Combining light and space poetically, these light installations invite viewers to reflect on the flow of water, cultural memory and humanity’s relationship with its environment. Known in contemporary art for large-scale installations in public spaces, Amorós sees light not merely as a material but as a universal language connecting place, audience and history. She describes her art as “an ongoing romance with the unknown” and considers her encounter with the Northern Lights in Iceland in 2001 a turning point that made fleeting yet enchanting light the core of her work.
Today Amorós is recognised as a leading international artist for her interdisciplinary work at the intersection of history, technology and architecture, highlighting the power of light to bring communities together and create shared experiences. The works are on view from 24 September until November. PASSAGE is installed in the hotel’s historic clock tower, using light to reinterpret a building that was once a place of farewells and reunions.
MARITIME, in the hotel lobby, takes a sculptural form referring to Istanbul’s maritime heritage, making the fluid movement of water and the passage of time tangible through light. Combining art, architecture and cultural memory, the two projects create a poetic experience of light and space in the heart of Istanbul.
