Albert Bitran Gölge Topraklar Gök Topraklar

Published on the occasion of Albert Bitran’s first solo exhibition at Dirimart, Land of Shadows Land of Sky (3 May–2 June 2024), this trilingual catalogue presents a comprehensive selection of works created between 1956 and 2013 by one of the pioneering figures of post-war abstract expressionism in Paris. The book highlights Bitran’s enduring spatial sensibility and the fluid transitions between his different series, offering readers a deeper understanding of his unique visual language. Essays by art historian and critic Clotilde Scordia and poet, writer, and pianist Laure Cambau provide critical insights into Bitran’s practice and its evolution across decades. The publication also includes inventory numbers from the artist’s catalogue raisonné, to be released in 2026. Beyond mere chronology, it invites readers to engage with Bitran’s abstractions as dynamic reflections of light, space, and perception.

Text in English, French and Turkish.

Albert Bitran (b. 1931, Istanbul; d. 2018, Paris) forged his identity as an artist in Paris, where he arrived at the age of 17 to study architecture. He held his first exhibition there in 1951. Starting his artistic journey at a very young age, Bitran’s works were showcased in significant exhibitions of the post-war Parisian art scene, including Salon des Réalités Nouvelles and Salon de Mai. Emphasising abstract expressionism over figurative narration, Bitran’s artistic footprint extended far beyond Paris with exhibitions in Milan, Cologne, Brussels, Cuba, Stockholm, New York, London, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Lyon. Among his recent solo exhibitions are Land of Shadows, Land of Sky, Dirimart Dolapdere, Istanbul (2024); Exposition Albert Bitran, Galerie Bertrand Trocmez, Clermont-Ferrand (2019); Affinités en noir majeur, Galerie Convergences & Galerie Gratadou-Intuiti, Paris (2017); and Regard sur Albert Bitran, Elfebeen Mansion, Luxembourg (2016). Clotilde Scordia is a Paris-based art historian, art critic and curator, graduated in Art history from Paris-Sorbonne. She mainly works about Turkish art and non-European avant-garde (especially from MENA area). She is the author of Istanbul-Montparnasse. Les Peintres Turcs de l’École de Paris (Paris, Déclinaison, 2021) and her monograph about Turkish artist Nejad Devrim, former resident at Cité Falguière in the 1950s, was published in 2022. She used to work on André Lhote catalogue raisonné and is currently working on those of Nejad Devrim and Albert Bitran.