Artists find their voice in Turkey`s `difficult` climate
(Artdaily.org)

A mute Syrian boy, using just body movements, gives a harrowing description of life under the Islamic State group in Syria. A crowd gathers of passionate anti-establishment protesters. And a galaxy of white ceramic CCTV cameras keeps a Big Brother-like watch over a city. These are just some of the images from this season`s contemporary exhibitions in Istanbul as artists grapple with issues of censorship and political turbulence in Turkey and raging violence across the border in Syria. And while critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say the government is riding roughshod over freedom of expression, many artists are openly defying the trend by tackling big issues head-on in a still punchy scene. Almost immediately after the failed coup against Erdogan last year, Turkish authorities launched widespread purges which opponents say have gone beyond suspected coup plotters and are affecting intellectual and artistic circles.