“Human” is the title of the current exhibition at The Empire Project. The exhibition includes photographic work by six artists from Turkey and the international art scene in the Taksim gallery in Istanbul.
Photographers Rasha Khalil, Halil Koyutürk, Sean Lee, Manolo Menendez, Gözde Türkkan and Gökşin Varan make up the exhibition of the project.
While Khalil’s nude women photographs reveal gender and discrimination, Koyutürk’s photographs unravel the hidden secret of Turkish culture’s pressure on transvestites.
All the photos are relevant to “how to be a human and how to live in a society.”
“In the end we are alone. Cold. Abandoned in a giant social collective. Solitary, naked little individuals, sharing one common denominator: We are Human,” wrote Kerimcan Güleryüz the gallery owner at the beginning of the exhibition’s text.
Living in Stockholm, Turkish photographer Koyutürk reflects a life that no one is acquainted with. Koyutürk’s images of transvestites in Istanbul show viewers how these people would like to reveal themselves and who they really are while living inside this solitary social community. It is sometimes possible to understand how they live or how they feel living in this community. However, Koyutürk’s photographs reveal a different side of transvestites. While looking at the photos, viewers may feel that these people are happy and proud of themselves. Koyutürk’s craftsmanship is revealed when viewers scrutinize his photographs.
The black-and-white photographs by Varan emphasize living in a city. He tells the story of the district in the middle of Istanbul, yet the locals of this district live far away from city life. Immigration, life, death, sorrow are in the eyes of people who Varan photographs. Even though a deep and powerful meaning can be revealed through just one photo, looking at them all at once on the wall puts real pressure in the soul of any individual. Varan’s photographs tell the story of people living in a city and also living as a “ghost.” Sean Lee’s works revolve around the lives of transvestites, where he dresses up “Shauna” and captured the life of a transvestite.
Photo by Gökşin Varan
Manolo Menedez’s technique catches the viewer’s eye. It is a wonder how this photographer took those photos. Even though the foggy atmosphere first gives the impression that he used a different technique, it comes as a surprise as viewers learn that Menedez works in a misty environment. He photographs himself and maybe he tells us a tale that everyone knows, consisting of pain and happiness but his style brings another unknown life to the scene. The exhibition runs until August 28