Fatma Çelik is selected as one of the 2 artists for the 2023-2023 period of Berlin Senate Residency Program which promotes cultural exchange and supports the artistic development of professional artists as a component of the active sister city relations between Berlin and Istanbul. Throughout the residency, Çelik will focus on the second phase of her on going project 'Back to Nature' with women who have created their own space in the Hevrin Xelef Garden under the umbrella of Flamingo e.v., a Berlin-based organization that works mostly with migrants.

Cansu Yıldıran is exhibiting in Perasma's inaugural exhibition titled 'From off my Countenance These Glassy Tears' at Art On Pera, Istanbul. along with 7 other artists. The exhibition borrows its title from Dante's 'Inferno', Canto XXXIII.

Fikret Otyam, who made great contributions to Turkey's social, cultural and artistic accumulation with his paintings, photographs and writings, was a master who described this geography with its nature, its people, its bitter and sweet, its sadness and happiness.

Over the years, he documented the lives of Anatolian people with his unique narrative and published his photo-reportages under the title 'Gide Gide'. Now, in the exhibition titled 'Gide Gide / After Fikret Otyam', curated by Yasemin Bay, Ali Saltan, Oğuz Karakütük and Erdem Varol are exhibiting works along with many artists. 'Gide Gide' can be seen at Fikret Otyam Art Center, Ankara till Feb. 19th, 2023.

Jury members Harun Güler, Erik Kessels, Izabela Radwanska Zhang and Roderick Van Der Lee has selected Serhat Kır as the winner of 212 Photography Istanbul competition with his series 'I almost remember' among 10 finalists. Works of the 10 finalists can be seen at Yapı Kredi bomontiada until October 16th.

Ci Demi is the winner of Discovery Awards 2022 at Encontros da Imagem with his series 'Unutursan Darılmam'. The work turns the author’s struggles outwards, reflecting the effects of a newly diagnosed bipolar disorder off many surfaces of İstanbul. We get to explore the author’s clinging to life. One question emerges from the story: Who is being forgotten here; the photographer or the city? 'Unutursan Darılmam' can be seen at Galeria do Paço da UMinho (Braga) till October 30th.

Oğulcan Arslan, Ci Demi and Ekin Özbiçer are featured in British Journal of Photography's new issue themed 'Tradition&Identity'. In addition to the main feature, Turkey’s photography scene is in focus, guided by the expertise of local writer and curator Merve Arkunlar.

İsmail Yılmaz is exhibiting in 'Settling into the Abyss' curated by Naz Kocadere at Zilberman İstanbul. The exhibition deepens around the notions of representation, identity, grief, justice, solidarity, rebellion and psychological dilemma. In his photographs İsmail Yılmaz documents an individual’s inner exploration through nature, bold and prepared to confront whatever beast he might come across in the way. The exhibition continues till July 1st.

‘İşler Değişti / Change of Plans‘ curated by Cemre Yeşil Gönenli, brings together the works of 12 young artists around the theme of post-pandemic blues. The exhibition, far from documenting the environmental aftermath of the pandemic, tries to understand the psychological and emotional dynamics of the outbreak through the notions of unexpected and sudden decisions, failed plans, isolation, future anxiety, and obscurity. ‘İşler Değişti / Change of Plans‘ can be visited until April 9th at Mixer, İstanbul.

Erdem Varol and Cansu Yıldıran are exhibiting in ‘Hayatta Kalanlar‘ which is the first exhibition of Peep Art Space. ‘Hayatta Kalanlar‘ (those who keep alive, survive in English) implies forms of distress and constellations of hope against them, and attitudes of resilience rallied against hardships. The exhibition aims to collect representations created with these notions by artists who have tackled the impossible with their imaginations and survived. It intends to establish reciprocity between these works and the visitors’ own experience of being themselves. ‘Hayatta Kalanlar‘ runs until Jan. 28th, 2022.

Ateş Alpar, Ekin Çekiç and Erdem Varol are taking part in a group exhibition entitled ‘Forms of Silence‘ initiated by Demo Lab. The exhibition curated by M. Cevahir Akbaş and Derya Ülker aims to to show silence and to open up discussion about being forced into silence in order to remember that we all have a role in constructing the cultural structure, so that the struggle for existence is not reduced to survival. ‘Forms of Silence‘ takes place at Kıraathane İstanbul Edebiyat Evi between 10 December 2021-17 January 2022.

Oğulcan Arslan is among the selected artists of Mamut Art Project 2021 which will take place between 19-31 October, 2021. Mamut Art Project 2021 is the biggest art event and first fair in Turkey dedicated to providing a dynamic platform for independent & emerging artists since 2013. Arslan will be exhibiting his series 'Put on my Geneva Armour', in which a foggy turquoise color predominates and are like pages torn from his diary and put together. As Arslan explains, each photograph represents a letter, a word, and sometimes a punctuation mark; therefore, the diptych, triptych and single photographs we encounter are also open to be read as texts.

Bilsart is hosting Elçin Acun’s exhibition entitled ‘Allegory Of A Dream‘ between 7-16 October. In this video installation, curated by Melike Bayık, transparent body images, which are caught between visibility and invisibility, aim to occupy the masculine public space with illusions wandering silently and recklessly in various urban spaces. These body images explore the limits of possibly existing as a dream in reality. They rehearse a dream where a queer and feminist possibility has taken over.

Oğulcan Arslan is selected as one of the Fresh Talents 2021. Powered by GUP Magazine, the jury has selected 150 emerging talents from across the European continent from a diverse array of backgrounds — freshly graduated photography students and autodidactic photographers among them — all of whom are making their first foray into the exciting world that is photography. The Fresh Eyes 2021 book launch took place at Keilepand Rotterdam between July, 1-4.

Erdem Varol is among the artists of the ‘Sleeper in Metropolis‘ virtual exhibition of Siilk Gallery. The exhibition curated by Daniel Peace & Nicole Oike is the 3rd virtual exhibition of Siilk Gallery bringing audiences and artists together digitally, online, to help promote and expand the exposure of artists' works they love from around the globe. The title borrows its name from a song by the 80’s artist Anne Clark which is a track about being present but not active throughout changes that are out of people's control.

You can visit the exhibition here

Altay Tuz is exhibiting some works from his series 'Members Only' in the framework of 'STRANGERHOOD' which invites cultural practitioners from diverse frameworks to perform interventions in the venue, Restaurant Porte St-Denis, Paris, in an attempt to explore the public spaces of encounter as the visual space of the political. The exhibition is curated by Alara Villa & Ayşe Ertung and will take place between June 17th till July 8th.

İrem Sözen and Oğuz Karakütük are selected for the 'Rethinking Nature' slide show which will be premiered during the European Month of Photography in Luxembourg at the Casino Luxembourg and on view there during the whole festival period. 
The 'Rethinking Nature' slide show with a total length of 20 minutes assembles a large variety of points of view on nature that illustrate, filter, and analyse the present ambiguity of our vision - part sentimental dwelling in nostalgic contemplation, part illustration of destruction and exploitation of the environment.
Second venue of 'Rethinking Nature' will be during Imago Lisboa at Carpintarias de São Lázaro in October 1-31, 2021. And finally will be screened in Vienna at the festival center of FOTO WIEN from March 9 to March 27, 2022.

Cansu Yıldıran talk to Tom Seymour about their latest project 'Fathom' and their art. 

"Fathom is an exploration of what it means to be queer for Yıldıran. Deep within, an attempt to visualise the fabric of who they are. It’s the work of someone pushing through a forest at night, unafraid to push further – even when it might be easier to turn back."

Read the full article here

İrem Sözen is selected as one of the 2 artists for the 2021-2022 period of Berlin Senate Residency Program which promotes cultural exchange and supports the artistic development of professional artists as a component of the active sister city relations between Berlin and Istanbul. Throughout the residency, Sözen will develop her project 'Album of remarks' that she started in zoos and botanical gardens in Berlin, extending it spatially and continuing her research on the historical and philosophical foundations of these structures.

'Fractured Modernities: Contemporary Art from Turkey' explores the present moment in Turkey’s cultural history through the work of artists Didem Erbaş, Merve Ünsal, Erdem Varol, and Zeynep Kayan. The unique crossroads between empire and republic, heritage and modernity, and containment and globalization have forged complex webs in the fabric of the Turkish society that are present in each artist’s work, as the nation grapples with its own identity and the social and cultural forces that make it so pluralistic. A dominant thread that brings the artists’ work together is a connection to this multicultural past, its manifestations in the present, and a critique of Turkey’s simplistic reputation as a bridge between the East and the West. The show aims to fill a gap in contemporary art discourse by offering a rare look at the artworks being made in Turkey today. 'Fractured Modernities: Contemporary Art from Turkey' can be seen at Academy Art Museum, Maryland, USA till April 16th, 2023.

Melike Koçak joins PASAJ's 'small things' studio residency program at Barın Han, İstanbul as a guest artist from Jan 31st onwards. 'small things' aims to provide the necessary environment for artists to focus on what they want to do. It is an occasion for artists to discuss the workshop process and their work with other artists, art professionals and art lovers. During this residency, Koçak will carry her project 'Soft Stone' which aims to go beyond the representations of Sultanahmet and to touch Sultanahmet as a neighborhood in collaboration with Metehan Özcan, Zeynep Özkanca, Eren Yıldırım, Ege Kanar and Umut Erbaş until Feb 25th.

Ali Saltan's photography exhibition 'Stories: crossing the border' is a photographic journey through Turkey to the lives of Syrian, Afghan, Iraqi, and Iranian refugees. The exhibition is realized for GIZ's Community-Based Local Initiatives Project (CLIP 2) and features individual stories of refugees and asylum seekers in Turkey. 'Stories: crossing the border' can be seen at Aquarium Am Südblock in Berlin till Dec 4th.

Erdem Varol's latest book 'Dolana Dolaşa' is among the books exhibited in 'Bound Narratives: A Photobook Library' that brings together a curated selection of photobooks made from and about South West Asia and North Africa by a wide variety of talented authors and artists. 'Bound Narratives' emphasizes the importance of sharing the myriad of perspectives from local and diasporic communities, the power of subversive narratives and self-representation. 'Bound Narratives' curated by Roï Saade can be seen at Museo Novecento till October 23rd as part of Middle East Now Festival.

Serhat Kır and Damla Şahinbaş are among the 10 finalists of 212 Photography Istanbul Competition. The winner will be entitled to be featured in 212 Magazine and receive a cash prize of 5000 Euros. 212 Photography Istanbul, taking place between 6-16 October, is a city festival with its large scale of participants that expands horizons and encourages the culture and art audience to navigate different routes in Istanbul.

Cansu Yıldıran are selected as one of the seven grantees of the 2022 Women Photograph Project Grants among over 1,300 applications from women and nonbinary photographers around the world. The $5,000 grants will support photography projects — either new or in-progress — from visual journalists working in a documentary capacity.

The photo festivals FOTO WIEN, Mois européen de la photographie Luxembourg and IMAGO LISBOA have teamed up to issue an international call for entries on the theme of Rethinking Nature. The eponymous slide show now brings together 111 selected artistic positions from 31 countries -a multitude of perspectives that illustrate, filter and analyse the current ambiguity of our view of nature: part senti- mental lingering in nostalgic contemplation, part illustration of the exploitation and destruction of the environment. Following its screenings at Mois européen de la photographie Luxembourg and IMAGO LISBOA, the slide show can be now viewed at Festivalzentrale: Atelier Augarten until March 27h as part of Foto Wien.

Erdem Varol is among the 17 artists exhibiting in ‘Bana Yalan Söylediler‘ ('they lied to me' in English) curated by theurbanarts and Gözde Filinta. The exhibition centers around the notion of post-truth and brings together works from 17 artists from Turkey addressing this issue. ‘Bana Yalan Söylediler‘ takes place at Atlas Pavyonu, İzmir until March 28th, 2022.

İsmail Yılmaz is exhibiting a selection from his series ‘Returning Home‘ in ‘Recto-Verso‘ at C.A.M. Gallery between 18 December 2021-9 January 2022. ‘Recto-Verso‘ with the metaphors appending to pneuma offers a prosperous context that pertains to form and theme and offers an anthology from the artworks –as a preview- of the artists that the gallery will hold their solo exhibitions in 2022.

Ali Saltan wins the Lee Award at OFF Bratislava 2021 with his series ‘Araf‘. Upon the decision of an expert four‑member jury, the LEE Award is given to an artist for a progressive and inventive work in the field of photography and new media. Together with the LEE Award, an original piece by the ceramist Simona Janišová, Saltan received a 5000 Euro prize.

Ateş Alpar are exhibiting a video entitled ‘The things we carry‘ as part of the exhibition ‘When nothing happens‘ between 9-24 October at Çatı Art Space, İzmir. The video draws attention to what the silenced carry, and aims to make the ordinary visible again. Alpar bring us eye to eye with those whose voice we do not hear even though they speak. ‘When Nothing Happens‘, the contemporary art project by Yellow Submarine Art Initiative departs from Georges Perec’s question “What Happens When Nothing Happens?”. By bringing together independent artists from different disciplines, it takes a closer look at the system that feeds daily life, the ordinary, and the things we’ve never thought about, through the testimonies of the artists, their transfer of experience or their intuitive production.​ ceased to amaze us.

Ateş Alpar, Damla Şahinbaş and Erdem Varol are exhibiting works in ‘Courage to Care‘ that will take place at The Bar in Beyoğlu, İstanbul between 2-31 October, 2021. The curators Muhterem Semiz and M. Cevahir Akbaş state their intentions as follows: "When The Bar that devotes itself to protect Beyoğlu’s culture meets with the wish of our generation to collect memory, it becomes a way of unlimited communication. In this atmosphere where we can express ourselves, we bring together our own stories. With the strength we get from being together we present the artworks of what we feel and care about in a poster exhibition." 

Rhythm Section Salon Binär is a digital gallery in public space that gives artists the opportunity to be seen and invites viewers to participate in the development of digital art. Rhythm Section Salon Binär aims to make art visible to visitors by displaying works on 1800 screens in the public urban spaces of Munich between July 5-7, 2021. The digital gallery is curated by Ezgi Bakçay and Karin Wimmer, and showcases works by 11 artists. 

Erdem Varol's 'Dolana Dolaşa' (Tangle and Meander) is the first title in the multi-volume publication project Tefrika İstanbul by Onagöre from İstanbul, on İstanbul, produced in İstanbul. Erdem Varol contributes a drift through streets of old and contemporary districts of İstanbul. 

Tefrika İstanbul is planned to be published as 7 episodes and an extra page is incorporated into the design of each title to enable binding the different volumes together. 

You can order the book here

GUP Magazine published a review by Sophie Beerens on Oğulcan Arslan's ‘All The Rivers Flow in the Nuthouse’ which was published by Origini Edizioni in 2020. “Arslan’s intimate project, with his friend at the center, becomes a memento for that which has been lost, and all of the feelings that come with this sense of loss: dejection, pain, melancholy, nostalgia, but also recollections of joy and innocence, small moments of abandon and spontaneity, and other emotions too sharp to formalize into words.“ 

Read the full article here

Ekin Özbiçer is the guest of '10 Questions' on 212 Studio's Youtube channel. She answers questions about her practice, how she started photography and her series 'Slavia', 'Blue Flag' and 'Replica'. Özbiçer also talks about her latest project 'hurriyetemlakbulues' which is an instagram account of found images depicting the curious taste of Turkish interior design, sorted out from popular real estate portals.

Ali Saltan is listed among the finalists of this year's Lens Culture Portrait Aards with his portrait of the Afghan refugee Zohreh from his series 'Araf'. The jury has selected 38 winners, jurors’ picks and finalists from 19 countries.

During his residency at Westwerk, between January-March 2021, Tuz continued to work on his project 'Members Only' which focuses on the coffeehouses where guest workers from Turkey spend their free time. Tuz presented an installation of his work 'Members Only' as part of CoronaVision II at Westwerk between the dates 21-27 February. CoronaVision is a series of exhibitions in which Westwerk's artists show their work in the shop window.

Mixer, İstanbul brings together two artists from different mediums, Ci Demi and Umut Toros, at the exhibition 'Beyond the Landscape'. Focusing on the intersection of works by two artists who are inspired by different disciplines, the exhibition takes different perspectives into urban and natural sceneries and offers a union that encompasses both. Ci Demi's works in the exhibition present an autobiographical mapping of existence through the lens of Istanbul, utilizing intricate details, scenes, and views of the city to create a unique and personal narrative. Both artists' works are united by a common thread of urban remains in nature, abandoned places, and destroyed views, which serve as a simultaneous psycho-geographical reading of their oeuvres. 'Beyond the Landscape' can be seen until March 18th.

Ci Demi, Ekin Özbiçer, Erdem Varol and Cansu Yıldıran are exhibiting in 'Istanbuls Today', a photography exhibition shaped with the aim of exerting a critical, layered, creative and innovative look at the current state of the constantly evolving “supra” city while bringing together direct or incidental visual narratives of the various Istanbuls experienced simultaneously. Curated by Refik Akyüz and Serdar Darendeliler, and enriched by the excerpts from the texts written by seven different academicians, researchers and literary figures for the exhibition catalogue, 'Istanbuls Today', through a selection and a presentation that aims to offer a glimpse into the entirety of works, includes many little exhibits within itself with the aims of creating a meaningful unity when juxtaposed. 'Istanbuls Today' can be seen at Pera Museum, Istanbul till April 30th.

Cansu Yıldıran are taking part in the exhibition 'Foodprint: The Mediterranean Diet Revisited', a cross-media project by six photographers focusing on the Mediterranean diet, an age-old food tradition rooted in austerity, creativity, communality, and seasonality. The exhibition presents a selection of works by six award-winning photographers who traveled in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Cyprus, Croatia, and Turkey, capturing dramatically contrasting images from isolated fishing villages to mountainous hamlets and modern culinary schools, while exploring diverse themes such as sustainability, identity, family, community, cooking, farming, health and creativity. 'Foodprint: The Mediterranean Diet Revisited' will be on view from October 14 to December 4 at Salt Beyoğlu on Floor 1 and the Kitchen area.

Cansu Yıldıran are exhibiting a selection from their series 'The Dispossessed' in a group exhibition entitled 'Lejos de casa' at Veintinueve Trece taking place in Arrecife, Lanzarote. 'Lejos de casa' curated by Desideria evolves around the theme of home and brings together 3 artists Claudia Frontino, Cansu Yıldıran and Dina Oganova. The exhibition can be seen till November 13th at Charco de San Ginés.

Ekin Özbiçer's work 'Replica' is featured in Foam Magazine's new issue themed 'm/otherlands'. In ‘Replica’ Özbiçer dives into the concept of tourism without the hassle of traveling. These palaces in Antalya, with their surreal quality, mixed with implied historicity promises to fulfill an infantile fairy tale fantasy that both the parent and the child can relate to. The series is accompanied by a text by Kim Knoppers.

Ci Demi is among the finalists of Encontros da Imagem's Discovery Awards 2022 with a selection from his series 'Unutursan Darılmam'. The 13 finalists will have the opportunity to exhibit their work during the festival in September. Encontros da Imagem, with more than thirty years of existence, is a non-profit cultural association that promotes annually an International Photography and Visual Arts Festival in the city of Braga, Portugal.

‘Sound is the Silence of the Image‘ deals with sound and image on a visual-poetic level, with the culture of sound and image as complementary elements, and in this context gathers a cross-section of the current art scene from Turkey. The approach to the theme is quite complex and contains many different aspects, and the artistic statements of the 12 participants are correspondingly diverse. ‘Sound is the Silence of the Image‘ curated by Fatih Aydoğdu can be seen at Fabrikraum, Vienna until March 27th as part of Foto Wien.

Ateş Alpar are exhibiting in ‘Hadi Bana Geçelim‘ which invites the viewer to a field of imagination woven with stories from the personal experiences of the artists. In the exhibition, the artists turn the body into a playground as a result of the memory created by the traces. They offer a body reading through scars, skin and memory, terminology and cultural traumas. ‘Hadi Bana Geçelim‘ takes place at Koli Art Space until January 29th, 2022.

Cansu Yıldıran take part in a group exhibition entitled ‘Don’t Look Back, Deep is the Past‘ with a selection from their series ‘The Dispossessed‘. ‘Don’t Look Back, Deep is the Past‘ focuses on the roles and identities assigned to individuals in context of their relationship with society, habits based on social norms and the ways in which we define the Other. The exhibition takes place at Odunpazarı Modern Museum until May 31st, 2022.

Bilsart is hosting Cansu Yıldıran’s exhibition entitled ‘The Dispossessed‘ between 20-30 October curated by Melike Bayık. In the Black Sea region of Turkey, settlements are mostly in the highlands and while men can own properties in these highlands, women can not. ‘The Dispossessed’ started from this point. As a person against ownership, the fact that the right to own or not own property was taken from being a choice, and turned into an obligation, forced Yıldıran to focus on this subject. And, they went to the highland where they were born, not as a guest but as a storyteller. ‘The Dispossessed’ is the search for the voice of themselves, of their mother and of the Highland women.

Ali Saltan is among the 30 artists selected for the 12th edition of Circulation(s) which will take place between 31 March-29 May 2022. The Circulation(s) festival takes place at the CENTQUATRE-PARIS, a cultural place in eastern Paris, and continues in the form of tours and off-site events in France and Europe. For two months, the public will be invited to discover exhibitions presenting the work of 30 young artists from all over Europe, with a focus on the Armenian artistic scene. 

Altay Tuz and Ci Demi are among the 10 photographers shortlisted for the 212 Photography Competition. The works of the 10 artists will be exhibited during 212 Photography İstanbul which will take place from 1-11 October 2021, along a special route of 7 spots throughout Istanbul where every venue tells a different story…

Cansu Yıldıran are announced as the winner of the Resisting category of the first-ever All Out & MTV Photo Award with their photo of Rukan and Hejar, two Kurdish and LGBT+ activists kissing at a Women's Day protest in Kadıköy on March 6, 2021. Over 1,800 photos by more than 380 photographers from over 60 countries were submitted to the award. The winning photos are displayed on the ViacomCBS screens in Times Square, New York City during Pride celebrations. They will also be featured at World Pride Copenhagen and at exhibition spaces across the world.

Cansu Yıldıran are exhibiting in ‘Safer Space‘ curated by Ciwan Veysel at Villa Vida Cafe (Vienna) as part of the Transition International Queer & Minorities Film Festival from June 4th till July 11th. Veysel elaborates the goal of 'Safer Space' as creating a remote network of solidarity between especially trans and lgbtiqa+ individuals in Turkey and Vienna in memory of the ‘transgender day of remembrance’, and also using art as a tool making those struggles visible and using art as a defense mechanism against any discrimination.

Oğulcan Arslan is selected for the main programme of Helsinki Photo Festival 2021 with his work 'All the Rivers Flow in the Nuthouse'. The festival received 428 applications from 55 countries for the open call with the theme Fearless. The award winning 50 photographers will be exhibited at various outdoor exhibition sites around the Greater Helsinki area. During 12 weeks exhibition sites will open to the public by July 7, while a few will start later and run until September 30. 

Cansu Yıldıran received a New Generation Prize Honorable Mention in PHMuseum 2021 Photography Grant with their work 'Fathom'. Being among the awarded projects, their work will be screened at Lagos Photo Festival 2021, Verzasca Photo 2021, and Jakarta International Photo Festival 2021.

Cansu Yıldıran talk to Sophie Beerens about their project 'The Dispossessed'. 

"In photographing the women of her ancestral homeland, Yıldıran forms a renewed intimacy with her roots, reconciling the sense of dispossession that she came to understand as her escape. Her current work in progress, 'My Lost Motherland Pontos', suggests that she has only just begun the journey into the source of her identity."

Read the full article here