top of page

The Other Wall

Nurgün Özmelek

22-30 October 2011

Nurgun Ozmelek’s work concentrates on the social gender problem. Ozmelek, in her work of art, handles the wall as a symbol of masculine power discourse and questions the problem by opening holes and cracks on it. The word “wall”, in the Turkish Language Dictionary, is defined as a vertical plane that protects, separates and imprisons things and beings. It can be said that walls are necessary for the preservation of the established system. Virginia Woolf says, “women have been living in their houses  for millions of years and  walls have sucked their creative power..”Ozmelek says, “Actually it is not always necessary for the walls to be visible. Primarily they infuse fear in us. Therefore we often build our own walls in order to protect ourselves: walls determine our life sphere, characterize our behavior. They force women to behave according to the norms of their sex,  live in protected areas,  be content with modest production, preserve tradition, lead a policy of compromise and prevent themselves from the gaze of foreigners. It is accepted that those who live behind the walls should accept their fate as it is, be patient, silent and virtuous. Many women compromise with passive life inside the walls. They live the fate of acquiescence behind the invisible walls and dally with unnecessary activities. Ozmelek continues thus: ”In my myth, the “wall” symbolizes the invisible coercion imposed on women by masculine power. Every hole dug in this wall will decrease its function. Then the “wall” is no more the same, it is womanized. Every different hole and crack dug in the wall refers to a different feminine identity, a different uterus, a different  world, and a different forthcoming future.” 

Halep

2011 -

2013

ZULEYHA ALTINTAS DEMET TASPINAR BEAT THE SEANICOLE RIEFOLO ARTTRANSPONDER BERLINERPOOLHURI KIRISDENIZHAN OZER DORIS KOCH MANUELA MACCO SILVIO PALLADINO ECE BUDAK BANU TAYLANSTEFAN ENDEWART RUSSEL ZEHNDER SECIL YAYYALI ISA ANDREU MALIN LENNSTROM NURGUN OZMELEK KOTTI SHOPARTPROJECTBROCKMANN ELMAS DENIZ OZGUR DEMIRCI NICOLE DALDANISE TURKAN AKKULAK KOC BANU TAYLAN COCKAIGNE RUM46 YAVUZ KILICER ELIZABETH ARO AMINA ZOUBIR DIDEM DURUKAN JOMA CIGDEM MENTESOGLU DEMET YALCINKAYA KAREN BARTRAM BERND RIEHM BARIS MENGUTAY GONUL NUHOGLU MEDIUM FORMAT VALENTINA CROW ANGELO MOLINARI FERNANDO GARBELOTTO GIORGIO CAIONE JULIA IRENE SMITH JOHANNES WILLI BENI BISCHOF EVELINE WUTRICH  DOMINIC CAROLYN RIDDELL OLIVIA VALENTINE ASLIEMKERIM BIKKUL ANJA UHLIG

bottom of page