Galeri Bosfor is hosting Olgu Ülkenciler’s solo exhibition “It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times” between October 25 and November 29. The exhibition brings together the bright and dark sides of human history, revealing the contradictions that intensify at critical turning points in time.
Taking its title from the opening lines of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, the exhibition offers a reflection on the passage of time—illuminating the fractures of the past and the uncertainties of the present:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…”
Ülkenciler structures the exhibition in three sections. At the entrance, we encounter “Birds”, flying through the darkness with the heavy burden of their responsibilities. In this uncertain historical crossroads, the birds remind us of those who continue onward despite obstacles and exhaustion—symbols of both resistance and a memory woven with hope. The “Portraits” series reflects the spirit of the age, focusing on gazes that gather the strength to pierce through darkness. With a stubborn hope, these faces embody both the witness and the subject of a transitional moment—neither fully surrendered to darkness nor fully reaching the light. Finally, “Unfading Flowers” appear as symbols of regeneration and resilience—those who, though shaken and scattered, manage to stand tall. Seemingly withered, these flowers carry within them persistent seeds, buds, and sprouts of the future, representing the quiet determination taking root beneath stillness.
With “It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times,” Olgu Ülkenciler makes visible the fractures of history, the contradictions of society, and the state of resisting through hope—inviting the viewer to reconsider their own time.
