Turkish artist Bedri Baykam has launched a major solo exhibition titled “Baykam on Picasso: Les Demoiselles Revisited” at Piramid Sanat in Istanbul. Following its debut at Galerie S/Beaubourg in Paris, the show centers on a multi-layered reinterpretation of Pablo Picasso’s 1907 masterpiece, "Les Demoiselles d’Avignon." The exhibition features a mix of paintings and immersive installations, including a conceptual Turkish bath and historical recreations of brothels in Paris and Istanbul, all designed to bridge the gap between Western modernism and Eastern influences.
This exhibition is significant for its attempt to decenter the traditional Western narrative of art history by suggesting alternative influences on Picasso, such as the 15th-century Turkestan artist Mehmet Siyah Kalem. By blending personal biography with art historical critique, Baykam challenges the singular legacy of Cubism and explores the cross-cultural "brain waves" that linked Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. The project marks a culmination of Baykam’s lifelong dialogue with Picasso, transitioning from a childhood fascination to a complex, multi-sensory institutional critique.