Dirimart presents Olivia Sterling's first solo exhibition in Istanbul, titled 'Jelly,' at its Pera location from May 7 to June 14, 2026. The show explores themes of race, power, and desire through scenes involving food, the body, and stains, using fruit and dark colors as metaphors for consumption and objectification. Sterling's paintings incorporate letters that expose how race is constructed through language, while the title 'Jelly' evokes flexibility, fluidity, and a grotesque bodily quality that mirrors the instability of identity and social conventions.
This exhibition matters because it brings Sterling's incisive critique of racial microaggressions and structural inequalities to a Turkish audience, expanding the global conversation around identity politics in contemporary art. By framing her work through the cross-cultural resonance of 'jelly' (or 'jöle' in Turkish), the show highlights how ideological frameworks can be dissolved and reassembled across different contexts. It also underscores Dirimart's role in presenting conceptually rigorous, socially engaged art from emerging international artists.