Darphane-i Amire (The Imperial Mint) will host the exhibition, “Tenses of the Tulip”, between the 8-28 April, 2006. This exhibition is organized by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality within the framework of the “International Tulip Festival”. The curator of this exhibition is Nuran Terzioğlu, who is the owner of “Gallery Apel” and curator of several other international exhibitions.

The works of artists from Turkey and Netherlands focus on the theme of tulip in different cultures in history and today. The 500 year-old Darphane-i Amire, The Imperial Mint Building is reviving the history of the tulip in its home country. The tulip, first renowned during the Seljuk period, traveled around the world starting from the 16th century. During the Ottoman period, tulip patterns were used in miniatures, marbling and tiles as popular decoration patterns. Today in contemporary art, the tulip takes on new meanings while keeping its bonds with the past. In the exhibition, tulip is represented within the framework of contemporary arts and according to each artist’s individual interpretation rather than a cultural symbol of a historical era. Each tulip made of various materials such as paper, metal and fabric tells us a different story and becomes a life of its own.The “Tenses of the Tulip” exhibition brings together prominent artists such as Aslımay Altay, Azade Köker, Ayfer Kalsın, Aydan Baktır, Bayram Candan, Engin Akın, Güler Güngör, Gülsün Karamustafa, Henny Van Leewen, Kurucu Koçanoğlu, Lerzan Özer, Maria Sezer, Suzy Hug Levy, Selma Gürbüz, Yıldız Sermet and Thecla Renders.