Forgotten Items Turn into Art at Istanbul Airport
Forgotten Items Turn into Art at Istanbul Airport
An unusual art exhibition has opened at Istanbul International Airport, where everyday items forgotten by passengers have been given a new life as works of art. Titled “Şeyler” (“Things”), the exhibition is presented by renowned Turkish TV host and entertainer Beyazıt Öztürk and is on display at IGA ART Gallery, located in the airport’s international terminal.
Art from the Lost and Forgotten
The project is based on Öztürk’s sculptural series “Şey” (“Thing”), in which personal belongings left behind at airports are transformed into expressive artistic forms. These objects become silent storytellers, reflecting the emotional intensity, farewells, and reunions that define air travel.
“Somewhere in an airport, people are crying, saying goodbye, meeting again. These objects witness those emotions too. I wanted to tell the story of an airport through these things,” the artist explains.
Artist's Motive: According to Öztürk, he is deliberately drawn to the theme of loss and forgetting—what is left behind, yet still carries deeply human stories.
From Ceramics to Exhibition Halls
Speaking at the opening, Beyazıt Öztürk recalled that his artistic journey began long before his television career. He graduated from Anadolu University’s Faculty of Fine Arts with a degree in ceramics.
Important: Due to his demanding work in television, his artistic practice was paused for many years, but over the past six to seven years he has returned actively to sculpture and has already held several solo exhibitions.
Öztürk describes “Şeyler” as one of the key milestones in his return to the art world.
Objects from Around the World
The exhibition brings together a wide range of items left behind by passengers at airports across the globe. Each object becomes part of a shared narrative about movement, separation, and hope. Notable items on display include:
- A wheelchair belonging to a passenger arriving from Ecuador.
- A baby bottle forgotten by a traveler from Vietnam.
- Various personal items that lost their owners but retained their emotional imprint.
The Airport as a Cultural Space
Selahattin Bilgen, CEO of İGA, the operator of Istanbul Airport, emphasized that the world’s largest aviation hub by number of destinations is seen not only as a transport center, but also as a cultural meeting point.
Philosophy: According to him, Öztürk’s works encourage passengers to slow down, look around, and reflect, while the idea that “forgotten things do not disappear, they simply change places” resonates naturally with the philosophy of airports.
Gülveli Kaya, Chairman of the Executive Board of İGA ART, highlighted the artist’s disciplined and independent approach to sculpture, calling it a strong artistic stance that helps make contemporary art more accessible to a wider audience.
Project curator Marcus Graf added that the exhibition conveys the idea of travel not only as physical movement, but also as an intellectual and artistic experience.
Exhibition Dates
The sculpture “Şey” will remain at Istanbul Airport on a permanent basis.
Visit Now: The “Şeyler” exhibition will be open to visitors until April, offering passengers a rare moment for contemplation within a space of constant motion.
