Evrim Altuğ

Art Critic and Journalist, member of AICA Turkey (International Association of Art Critics) 

20.01.2026

halit demirel /murat germen

"tek"

looking at the manifestation

“When the whole world is Western, where will the sun rise from?” Jean Baudrillard

How great is the witness’s responsibility, and how deep its echo, in seeing a “thing” for the first time or (at every moment, with mortal eyes) the last? How truly can one image bear witness to another? If we wished to “look at the manifestation,” how sensitive could we be to the image “itself”?

At ARK Kültür, in this exhibition arrangement where even images are exposed to one another for the first and last time, the visual territories of Halit Demirel and Murat Germen (the immanent/photographic and the transcendent/plastic) are “exposed one on top of the other.” This arrangement, at once improvised and expressive, is recorded as a mortal state: a chance event that the artists experience, just like you, the witnesses, for the first (and last) time.

These fleeting, fluid images of vast sweep, which Halit Demirel and Murat Germen brought into the world in each other’s absence, through a meeting with no agenda, intersect in the same time and place: for the first time by their own reckoning, and for the last time by the world’s calendar.

What “Artificial Intelligence,” as it is popularly called, is doing to humanity these days, with all the arrogance it has stolen from humanity itself, is experienced and enacted here, just as it is, by two organic, creative and free individuals, through each other’s visual existence: without full stop or comma, countless and untitled. This improvised duet, under the roof of ARK Kültür, tests to the utmost the sincerity of the image itself, of its creator, and of us who bear witness to it, in a state of flight from humanity, time and space.

Demirel and Germen, two existentialist eyes, resemble two explorers who have set out, unaware of each other, from opposite poles of the same world. Like refugees of becoming to one another, the artists are exposed, at every moment and in every place, with astonishment, sincerity and exuberance, to this fateful communal labor of the senses (imece)*. For the first time, and each time more sincerely, they greet one another with what they have seen.

Works large and small, having slipped from their creators’ hands and greeting one another for the first time, scatter about like “remnants of the future.” Neither the artists themselves, nor their witnesses, nor anything or anyone at all, can resist this fertile magnetism of doubt, large and small, that Demirel and Germen have left behind.

This lodestone-textured environment to which we bear witness, at once attracting and repelling, micro and macro, spins out for us, who have found ourselves under the roof of ARK Kültür, countless caftans beyond measure, for a kind of continuous “image/focal eclipse” (“Imago/Focal Eclipse”).

The black-and-white, shifting fabric of these caftans becomes, layer upon layer, a mortal dwelling for immortal action, immense energy and naive slowness. These black-and-white visual “phenomena” also work as the most conspicuous ammunition of lived contact, faring somewhat better than the historical, antiseptic inviolability that photography and bureaucracy produce in human beings. Whether as light-writing (photography) or as hand-narrative (painting), the layers the duo leaves us, these black-and-white “thresholds of being,” produce, over all supposedly colorful destinies, an indisputable measure of truth and of debate.

This black-and-white camouflage we observe is also the mask of all the colors beyond naming, whether remembered in the subconscious or laid over the real, or to be seen again with eyes closed.

When we draw near these twin/diptych and even triplet/triptych images, which give the impression of a metaphysical MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) printout of each of the two artists, the situation grows more intricate. The autonomous worlds that matured in Demirel’s and Germen’s own times and spaces, and were brought here, begin to show more plainly how deeply they stand in coalition with one another: back and forth, in depth or on the surface, near or far. This produces a kind of optical ebb and flow, like the vital hum of two separate armies working toward a single aim.

The pole of being and nothingness sways before us and recedes, in keeping with the testimony of two witnesses. The undertow and surface current that result batter the shore of our memory and senses, pounding it into shape. Demirel and Germen, to keep the secret of the witnessing in the dream they told each other, never let each other out of sight.

Halit Demirel, as subjectively as his hands, his imagination and his intuition allow, takes the many naked “states” of being he has witnessed from where he stands, with his hands, his fingers, nail by nail, gripping from within, and draws them out. Just so with Murat Germen’s “objective”: whatever “states” and phenomena it has braved in voluntary asylum from the domineering World, there sits Germen, with such hauteur, meters and calculators at hand yet never counting, braving in a rush whatever is there, and offering it up, in its black and white, to the greedy white surface...

Demirel and Germen: two creative, imaginal miners. Along veins that have caught on each other’s plastic paradigms, on a shared shift, they meet for the first time in the same vast mine. They forgive each other and, saying “well, if that’s how it is,” descend into the very heart of this most imaginal mine with the pure spit of their hands. The mine comes out of a place you already know: with its visual battle cries permeating every corner of this “two-doored inn”**, with their nourishing testimonies, like two lovers breaking bread together for the first time, they bury the heavens in the depths of the earth; they “found worlds,” and trade banter. They extract ore. Their dark eyes crinkle with joy. What they do is a kind of mental labor, a toil of the eye, and it rests, after all, solely on the intelligence of the heart.

Moreover, this experience immediately summons the ownership of existence and memory to testify, on account of the worth of what has been lived. So much so that, through these images, the duo enter a kind of cross-examination, fists in the air, in comradeship. In this testimony, many worldly matters are laid before the artists and before us, the “People’s Jury”: texture, layering, uniqueness, the rivalry of image with image, the choice of distance or nearness, the self-interested dealings between illusion and fancy. The space/mine is, as it were, an aquarium of a transcendent manifestation close to the reunion of lost twins, even of triplets and quadruplets. This inexhaustible discourse that we witness becomes legible and poignant, like an autopsy of two parallel universes. These “transcendent images,” passing from eye to heart and from there catching the eye once more, step out even of the egos of these two creative, experimental people, and conquer from within, with a metaphysical cosmetic, the space in which they are guests and the frames of every image there is.

The images of Demirel and Germen, acquainted for the first time under the roof of ARK Kültür, dispatch every life lived, being lived and yet to be lived in the building, with all its dimensions and details, one by one, in succession, with all their anarchy, into countless brand-new encirclements of space. The image takes over the frame, the frame takes over the space, the space takes over existence. Existence strips down to the image once more... These “states,” examined first by the eye and then by “essence,” and destined after a while to be seen from within, bear no resemblance whatsoever, and in that very absence they announce to one another the good news that they meet in uniqueness. Freeing themselves in the plurality of anonymity, they overlap still further and embrace. Plainly, completely, from top to bottom, from inside out, from there to the depths, left and right, these silent expressions, gifting themselves to one another without principle, appear to be guided by a compass toward “nowhere.” All of them are before us, behind us, above us and beneath us, one on top of another, and, existing for the first time to the very end, they pour out their troubles to one another, fiercely, for the sake of the here and of what comes after.

Halit Demirel and Murat Germen are two pairs of inner eyes, masters of the tectonics of the image. Throughout the excavation, they courteously warn one another, and all their guests, against every approaching tremor of perception: just as the picture is about to be finished, another seed-frame cracks open from there, from the vein, until it falls deaf once more to its own universe.

Assoc. Prof. Fırat Arapoğlu
Art Historian, Art Critic and Curator

14.11.2023

"içe"

Reflections Into and From the Within: An Artistic Exploration

How Art has always been a powerful instrument of introspection, allowing the artist to investigate and express the complexities of the soul, of life and of nature. Halit Demirel’s exhibition "içe" takes the viewer on a journey that is hard to describe through the enigmatic landscapes of the soul. Hard to describe, because we do not encounter images that can be grasped easily at first glance. But it is worth the attempt, for examining the artist’s work from scientific, historical, literary and art-historical angles, and thereby striving for a deep exploration of inner thoughts and feelings, will prove exceedingly informative.

Demirel’s use of material is crucial, first of all as a medium, to his capturing of the subtleties of light and shadow, and his masterful use of it to represent the inner and outer aspects of a phenomenon and of an emotion has a miraculous quality. The way color pigments react with water and paper to create spiritual gradients reflects the artist’s delicate emotional spectrum, while the moment light touches an object and casts its shadow symbolizes the duality of our inner selves: the conscious and the subconscious, the known and the mysterious.

The artist’s production naturally has a long history, yet the medium he has chosen, while faithful to tradition, signals a bold innovation. Building on this history, "içe" in fact pushes the limits of what the material can achieve in our age. While this ties him to names such as William Blake and J.M.W. Turner, the artist takes us on a visual journey through the inner realms of the human soul. Thematically, the act of being turned inward, of turning toward the within, has historical ties to literature, and this reveals the artist’s deep engagement with poetry. The delicate balance between light and shadow in his works evokes the Romantic poets’ fascination with the sublime and the mysterious. Much as in the lines of Keats, Shelley and Wordsworth, the artist’s narratives evoke a sense of unspoken words and of feelings veiled in shadow, and his works, as visual poems, invite the viewer to engage on an emotional and intellectual level.

Another important practice of the artist is to separate the parts that make up a whole and to create various new compositions from these elements. Within the rich fabric of art history, this offers a fascinating opportunity for fresh interpretations from scientific, philosophical and artistic perspectives. Scientifically, this approach can be seen as a reflection of the principle of reductionism, the process of breaking complex phenomena down into simpler, more manageable components. Here the artist breaks the larger, comprehensive artistic composition into smaller, meaningful units. This shows how complex phenomena are analyzed in order to understand the principles and relationships that lie beneath what is visible. The artist uses the part-whole relationship to explore the inner workings of the human soul, of phenomena and of events, and to reflect their complexity and many-sided nature.

Philosophically, the artist’s method can be considered through holism and the philosophy of reductionism. Holism emphasizes the interdependence of the elements and the whole, and the analysis of the parts. By bridging these philosophies, the artist’s approach suggests that a comprehensive understanding of human experience requires both exploring the whole and examining the components that make it up. Moreover, it evokes Gestalt psychology, which holds that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. The artist’s decision to reassemble the extracted elements in various configurations should be read as an exploration of how different combinations create new meanings and feelings. This leads us to reflect on the nature of identity, on the self, and on the countless ways in which individual elements come together to form a complete human experience. Thus Demirel’s act of deconstructing and reconstructing the elements of a whole is a form of artistic experiment and a reflection of the evolving nature of art. It is also in harmony with the principles of collage, assemblage and reassembly employed by movements ranging from Cubism and Surrealism to new media art.

Finally, I would like to address the artist’s small, unframed works, each measuring 1,5 x 1,5 cm. This idea of installing them in the ceramic-tiled gallery space of Maçka Sanat Galerisi lends his artistic practice a unique and thought-provoking dimension. The approach points to a long artistic tradition with roots in various cultures and eras, from illuminated manuscripts to Indian and Persian miniatures and Victorian portrait miniatures. By creating extremely detailed and intricate works at a small scale, the artist displays extraordinary skill, and this choice can be seen both as a tribute to historical practice and as an exploration of its continuing validity in contemporary art. It should also be seen as a kind of eclectic collection, in essence the microcosm of a great world. Demirel’s installation stands before us as a concept that invites viewers to explore a personal collection. This arrangement is a deliberate choice to highlight the smallest details of the works and to encourage viewers to engage closely and intimately with each piece. The artist’s choice to create small works and to frame them within even smaller frames encourages viewers to consider the significance of the miniature in the context of human experience. Like the philosophy of wabi-sabi in Japanese aesthetics, it leads us to contemplate the subtleties and hidden depths of the seemingly small or insignificant aspects of life, and proposes finding beauty in imperfection and transience.

Moreover, in a world that seems vast and overwhelming, the act of focusing on the small, the personal and the introspective invites reflection on the significance of individuality, identity and the self in a wider context. This is in harmony with philosophical approaches such as existentialism and phenomenology, which investigate the essence of human existence and subjective experience. In this sense, the small frames in the gallery bring different scales side by side, which can be seen as a comment on art’s role as a window onto different dimensions of reality. The artist’s small works within their frames represent a perspective within the broader context of the gallery walls. This should be interpreted as a reflection of art’s capacity to offer a unique vantage point on the world, and it allows us to see the “big picture” through the lens of the artist’s individual vision.

"içe" is a testament to Halit Demirel’s profound ability to use the subtle yet transformative qualities of material to explore the depths of the human soul, of phenomena and of events. While the play of light and shadow in the works reflects the complexity of the human soul, it points to new realms of an expression built upon the rich legacy of art history. It is a journey toward the inner landscape of human experience, where light and shadow blend, offering viewers the chance to explore the depths of their own emotions. It reminds us that, just as light cannot exist without shadow, our inner selves are a complex interplay of the conscious and the subconscious, of the known and the mysterious.

The artist’s practice of breaking the whole into its parts and reconstructing them in different dimensions and sizes invites us to reflect on the intricate interplay of reductionism and holism, on the nature of identity, and on the evolving character of art itself. It also calls on viewers to engage closely with the small and the large, to reflect on the importance of the small, and to ponder art’s role in offering unique perspectives on human experience. This artistic approach is a testament to the artist’s capacity to provoke deep reflection by juxtaposing scales and materials with historical and philosophical themes.

Assoc. Prof. Eda Öztürk
Art Critic and Curator

30.04.2020

"zerre"

Particles Persisting in Their Existence

Halit Demirel’s solo exhibition zerre at Ark Kültür consists of watercolor works and a monochrome series composed of a single photograph. Demirel’s “particles,” described as an inward-turning “search for infinity,” lead us to follow their traces in the era of global crisis and pandemic through which we are living.

We are passing through a period in which the crises of the global neoliberal system spread into the social, economic, political, ethical and ecological spheres, seeping in, unstoppable and unpreventable, through every pore of the system. The days when refugees on the Turkish border were forced to drift from place to place like “specks of dust” were followed by the days when a virus that began with another, uncontrollable particle forced us into isolation. At the same time, in our age of crises, those who are cast out because of poverty, injustice, migration and cultural incompatibility, those who are “othered” and reduced to the status of a “particle,” continue to be seen as a threat to the established order and subjected to practices of exclusion. Starting from the ideology of “cleanliness” and “purity” that reigns over our modern, “sterile” lives, the anthropologist Mary Douglas sets out to establish the relationship of pollution to social order and morality. One of the greatest threats to the quest for purity and order in present-day societies may be thought of as these “particles,” which by their very existence blur borders and lines, and keep drifting from place to place.

It was just before the calls for social isolation against one particular “particle,” declared pathological, began that I encountered Halit Demirel’s particles. The artist’s watercolor works are each made up of pieces torn and separated from within the very paper on which they were made. Demirel’s particles can first of all be imagined as fragments that resemble one another, whose belonging to any whole is unclear and whose space is ambiguous. A gaze turned inward from these particles then carries us, with a feeling that stretches ever further toward infinity, to the ancient wisdom and memory of a boundless universe. The particles open onto new layers, onto the depths of those layers, onto the patterns of life found there, and, in an endless cycle, onto new particles. In this way, the singular particles in the series surpass themselves and present to us different aspects of the possibility of a shared existence.

Demirel’s particles can be thought of as imaginal projections of Jean-Luc Nancy’s concept of “being-with.” Nancy puts forward the idea of a singular plural being as an ethos and a praxis: “Being is singular plural… plurally singular, singularly plural.” In Nancy’s philosophy, singularity, while distinguished from other singularities, is plural with and among them. In other words, a singularity is singular in the plurality of its being-with other singularities. While defining existence as a shared existence, Nancy conveys that to exist is to be together with other beings through relation, sharing, exchange and mediation. According to Nancy, “being singular plural, as the condition of existing, indicates that each singular and each plural cannot exist without relationality to one another; for ‘being is being-with,’ and presents itself as singular plural.”

After viewing Halit Demirel’s zerre exhibition, the conditions and details of the pandemic picture we have been compelled to experience become clearer. A virus that began with a particle and led to a pandemic crosses every geographic, political and class boundary, despite local and global mobility being blocked and borders being closed. This period in which we isolate ourselves reminds us once again that our particulate singularity can be established only through the existence of the relation between us and the other particles. As we enter a turning point at which our planet, along with all its species, is being dragged toward ruin, with the idea of “with” that lies at the foundation of our existence, we can re-create the world as a place where existing becomes possible, as singular plural beings.