Cagla Demirbas (b. 1997, Ankara) got her BA from Istanbul Bilgi University’s Media and Communication (2020) and Film and Television (2022) departments as a salutatorian and a valedictorian, respectively.
Inspired by psychodynamic psychotherapy and the history of analog photography, her work acts like a “backup memory” that deals with serendipity and parapraxes found in the everyday rhythm of life.
Her work “Media Omitted” (2022), a series of cross-processed double exposures that show the “what-if”s of a relationship, was awarded second place in the “Best Series” category at the 2023 American Photographic Artists (APA) Awards, and was nominated for Best Landscape at 2022 Head On Photo Awards. The same work was exhibited at Pinakothek der Moderne, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art, Mall Galleries, Der Greif, Month of Photography Denver, Praxis Gallery, ZIRKA – Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Raum- und Kulturarbeit, LoosenArt, Mixer Arts and Swanfall Art. Her photography has been featured in various platforms like the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Photopia Cairo, The Holy Art, TRT World, and Contemporary Istanbul.
1/1 Exhibition: Unbinding Histories
In 2022, a group of artists from different parts of the world gathered in Arles for a residency program led by renowned photographer Antoine d’Agata. They used photography and archival materials to explore the complex concept of identity and address pressing social issues. The result is an exquisite blend of voices, colors, and points of view that challenges us to reflect on, empathize with, and relate to the intricate fabric of our shared human experience.
The artists in this exhibition come from a variety of countries and backgrounds, and their work celebrates multicultural identities and explores a wide range of socio-cultural and political issues, such as immigration, post-colonialism, gender, and freedom. The exhibition reflects on the difficulties of living between cultures and developing an identity within borders by inviting the viewers to reflect on their own experiences of isolation, loneliness, insecurity, and vulnerability, and encourages them to develop empathy and understanding across borders.
