Actor Johnny Depp Makes His Debut as a Sculptor at an Art Fair
Por Miriam Gonzalez ·
A seven-meter sculpture by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, installed on the shore of the Golden Horn, and the first sculpture created by actor Johnny Depp are two of the works on display at the Contemporary Istanbul art fair, which opens its doors to the public this Thursday.
Depp’s two-meter-tall sculpture, made of white bronze and titled “The Bunnyman,” is on display outdoors, among cafes and trees, in an area accessible only to visitors to the fair.
It is the first sculpture the popular movie actor has created, although the subject—a sort of hybrid between a human figure and a rabbit—has long appeared in Depp’s artwork in the form of sketches and paintings.
Johnny Depp: A Drawing and a Dream
The Sigg Art Foundation, which is contributing this piece to Contemporary Istanbul, explains in a press release that the work originated from a drawing that Jack, the actor’s son, made when he was about five years old—a drawing that Johnny Depp associated with a recurring dream he’d had at that same age.
The imposing black iron structure of “Juana”—the name of Plensa’s sculpture—dominates the esplanade at Tersane Istanbul, a former shipyard on the Golden Horn that has been converted into a massive shopping complex, which is hosting the 21st edition of this art fair, founded in 2006.
“Juana” was installed in this public space last August and will remain on display until next February, according to the artist’s website.
The two sculptures are among a dozen large-scale works scattered throughout Tersane, almost all of which are located in spaces open to the public.
This year, Contemporary Istanbul features 1,372 works by 736 artists from 16 countries, represented by 70 galleries, including several from Spain.
Picasso, Miró, or Tàpies
One of them is Joan Gaspar from Barcelona, who attends this event every year, as the gallery’s director, Núria Ridameya, told EFE.
“I came in 2015 and I keep coming back because it’s a fair that excites me; I have very good friends and clients here, and I have a fantastic time,” says Ridameya at her booth at the fair, surrounded by works by Picasso, Miró, Tàpies, and Matisse.
Miró is one of the best-known Spanish painters in Turkey, thanks to a major exhibition featuring 125 works that the Sabanci Museum organized in Istanbul in 2014, which made a strong impression.
“In addition to the most internationally renowned artists, such as Picasso and Miró, I’m also bringing a selection of works by Josep Uclés, Montserrat Gudiol, and Joan-Pere Viladecans, which I have in the gallery’s collection, as well as works by foreign artists, such as Étienne Krähenbühl, whose sculptures I’m bringing,” says the gallery owner.
In 2024, Contemporary Istanbul dedicated a separate section to a selection of 21 Spanish artists, all born in the 1970s, while this year the focus is on Asia and next year’s edition will feature Germany, according to Agencia EFE.