Anna Laudel Düsseldorf presents artist Ardan Özmenoğlu’s first solo exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany titled “Alles wunderbar” between 16 September – 13 November 2021. Curated by Katerina Valdivia Bruch, the exhibition showcases the 9-year creative journey of the artist, covering different topics of her artistic career.
With endless creativity and the capability of addressing both simple and complex issues in a playful and joyful manner, Özmenoğlu comprises a broad range of themes using different materials such as paper, glass, or neon light tubes in her works. She creates three-dimensional sculptural works with a series of painted glass layers, depicting flowers or trees as a sort of comment on the fragility of nature and human vulnerability.
“Alles wunderbar” pays attention to the artist’s long-standing relationship to Germany, particularly to the city of Berlin, her main production site after Istanbul, where she lives. The exhibition includes her latest pieces named after the first German words the artist learned; the post-it works Alles gut (All Is Good), Alles schön (All Is Beautiful), and Alles wunderbar (All Is Wonderful) from which the exhibition is named, and the neon tube light sculptures Ja, ja, ja, ja (Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes).
The imperfection of life is the perfect scenario for the artist’s explorations. Attention to detail, subtle reflections on every day and the now, but also on media, art, Turkish identity, and history distinguishes her oeuvre. Always with a shred of humor, in her works, she hints at a sense of community and belonging, but also a strong receptiveness to the new and an openness to the surprises of life.
In general, post-its are used as aide-memoirs, as well as to separate pages in paper piles, or to leave quick notes on different surfaces. Through Özmenoğlu’s eyes, post-its acquire other meanings: they speak about Turkish history and politics, as well as daily life in Istanbul, but also portray how the artist understands modern urban women, who are shaping contemporary Turkish society. Her post-it works include popular mass-mediated images from popular cultures, such as celebrities from the arts scene, music or fashion industries, historical figures as well as famous Turkish political leaders. She also portrays impressions of daily life in urban settings, spanning from random phrases written on walls, doors or graffiti, to manhole covers traced by the artist in different cities.
Özmenoğlu also brings her own interpretation of society and the art environment in her works produced using neon lights, where she started to work with neon during her residency in Berlin.
Curated by Katerina Valdivia Bruch, Ardan Özmenoğlu’s solo exhibition “Alles wunderbar” featuring artist’s brand new works as well as the recent ones, will be on display at Anna Laudel Düsseldorf until 13 November 2021.
*Please contact gallery to obtain the exhibition catalogue published by Anna Laudel.
**Content of the press release is taken from the concept note of “Alles wunderbar” written by Katerina Valdivia Bruch.
