Costa Mea is one of the unforgettable exhibitions which has tied the previous year to 2016.  In her latest single exhibition at Pg Art Gallery, Günnur Özsoy has worked the concept of personal and social fragmentation with an abstract language through her sculptures.  While subtly referring to phases of womanhood, she has comprised a series which succeeds in penetrating the viewers abstract thought process by removing the singularity of the emotions which she treats with a minimalist approach.  "Costa Mea" comes from Latin, which means "my rib".  It is clear that this is an allusion to the Genesis myth in which Eve is created from Adam's rib. Beyond that, it could be interesting to look at Latin, the language from which the title originates. The fact that she chose Latin to name the sculptures which have a bone-like structure, could be thought of as a gesture to combine the cold, scientific language of anatomy and the simplifying, distant disposition of minimalism. The more intense the emotions embedded in the forms, the stronger the effort to simplify them.

If we approach the issue from a linguistic standpoint, we are faced with a different dimension, since in Latin there are three kinds of names: Femininum, masculinum or neutrum; feminine, masculine or neutral. In this context, the word "costa" is feminine.  We see an indirect challenge to the tradition which insists on a masculine creation language, from a woman sculpturer.  This time, we are not faced with a woman figure which is derived from the rib of the male. Metaphorically, the sculptures come into being from the artists' rib; they are then placed in the exhibition space. With this series, it could be said that a feminist emphasis has been introduced to Özsoy's sculptures. Özsoy is an artist who thinks abstractly and develops ways of expression accordingly, instead of an artist who "abstracts" from what is already there.

In Costa Mea, the artist didn't stop with developing the grammar of the abstract language used in her works with unforeseeable acceleration; she also experimented with different media and disciplines beyond sculpture.  As a result, on the 20th of December 2015, she presented her video works with a special event held at Esma Sultan Residence in Ortaköy. This residence, which is an interesting coincidence or a conscious decision, had been passed from one lady of the palace to another. It was first given to Sultan Abdulaziz's daughter Esma Sultan as a birthday present, and after her death, Abdülhamit the 2nd gave the residence to his daughter Cemile Sultan in 1899. After she died, her daughter Fatma Hanım Sultan took over. In 1915, the residence was no longer in the possession of the Ottoman dynasty. In other words, this is a special residence which was in the hands of women for many years. The video presentation was for one night only. Just like a fragrant perfume, belonging to someone unknown, which reaches us through a mild breeze and immediately disappears; it had an elegant and mysterious evanescence. It reminded us that we need to know the value of the moment. Blue-purple lighting and minimalist electronic music which speaks the same language of the sculptures, penetrated the space. The Costa Mea sculpture which was at the entrance of the exhibition held at Pg Art Gallery, was moved right next to the entrance to Esma Sultan Residence to greet the viewers. Two sculptures in purple were hanged from above with their fixed positions. Two other sculptures in the place were chosen from kinetic ones that rotate around themselves. There were two videos in the two corners of the hall, projected upon big curtains and these were the videos which essentially contained the main narratives of the event.
 
Even though the videos resembled each other in terms of the forms they exhibited, there were obvious differences with respect to both their content and their development. The video at the first curtain was a 2D version of the sculpture exhibition at Pg Art Gallery, carried over to the residence. In this video, different camera angles and movements, along with montage techniques were used expertly to capture changing colors, folds and subtle details. The recording process was limited to the outer lines that the works have allowed, which means it presented an external, encompassing view. This video could be thought of as a prologue, preparation or invitation to the video on the other curtain.  In the most recent sculptures of Günnur Özsoy, the gaps which reflect the fragmentation have grown and become varied. However, if we approach the fragile forms, for instance the Costa Mea sculpture, and we start looking at one of these gaps, at some point our gaze is interrupted, since we come across one of the inner folds of the bone-like structure and we can not advance forward. It is physically impossible to move forward, to swim across from one gap to another, to fly within the folded structure. However, the gaze desires to march forward. The second video provided a solution precisely to this dilemma.

A 3D rendering of the Costa Mea sculpture and the processing of this digital data with animation software, made the physically impossible, possible. In this way, we the viewers could stroll inside the sculpture and experience the dynamic inner structure of the sculpture through different points of view. The animation first emphasized the shadowy, bone-like structure which were exhibited inside a form that almost had a prehistorical quality; a stroll inside an underworld.  Afterwards we were presented with images from an enlightened, shining, bright and celestial realm. Then we found ourselves inside the skin, the body, now we tried to find our way inside a network of crimson veins. It is obvious that a different inner dimension which pushes the boundaries had been gained, even though we pass from a 3D sculpture to a 2D image. The video which was played in a loop presented a meditative visual experience.

The video presentation which brought together the historical fabric with contemporary sculpture, created a sparkling medium where different disciplines of art and various cultures were entangled with each other in the heart of the Bosphorus. This enabled the addition of new interpretations and recollections to Günnur Özsoy's sculptures, which were already rich with meaning.  The Costa Mea exhibition which continues the memory of the magic created in the temporary space of Esma Sultan residence, can be visited until the end of January.
 
This essay was published in sanatatak.com on the 6th of January with the title "Benim Kaburgam!".  http://sanatatak.com/view/Benim-Kaburgam/2387