Özmenoğlu is known for her subversion of expressions and images belonging to Turkish and global popular culture in her works. Especially in her works produced using post-it notes and neon lights, she develops a special language in which cultural history and daily life overlap, together with the meaning load brought by the material. In our age defined by the speed of communication and technology, Özmenoğlu maintains a unique line in Turkish contemporary art with her slalom among signs and images on the slippery ground of abundance of meaning and reference. Ardan is one of the colorful artists we are inspired by in our sweatshirt designs with her bold attitude and works.
Seçil Alkış: I am curious about the story behind how you started using Post-its. You transform a simple material that we use a lot in our daily lives into a different work of art using silkscreen printing. Can you tell us about this process?
Ardan Özmenoğlu: I met the post-it notes that I use in my works while I was doing my master's degree. Post-it is a very contemporary material, a material that has no past, that belongs to today, to this moment. We write things that we should not forget on it. In some of my works, I combine this material with Turkish traditions and customs, Turkish History; sometimes with things that we should not forget but always forget. And nowadays, everything is doomed to be forgotten. That's why we need to write on post-it notes!
SA: How did the “New York” exhibition come about? You have opened more than forty exhibitions all over the world, you have been to many different cities, and you continue to work as a studio between Berlin and Istanbul. How did your international connections begin?
A.Ö: As soon as I finished my master's degree, my Russian professor Alexander Djika said, 'Ardan, you are very talented, you should go abroad.' He was the first person to direct me. As soon as I graduated, I was accepted to the Artist in Resindence program in Berkeley, California, which I applied to during my master's degree. It took six months. If you are talented and original, and if you are truly dedicated to art, you see that other doors open. After that, I went to Berlin for my second solo exhibition, and then my New York exhibition took place. Over the years, I shuttled between Istanbul, Berlin and New York.
SA: I want to talk a little bit about the exhibition in New York. It's the only one among many.
A.Ö: That is actually a sentence that summarizes America, it is made up of many nations coming together; “United States of America”. New York stands out as the only one among them. I found the name of the exhibition on the street while I was living in New York. The streets there are always full of cents. Imagine a country that loves money so much, not picking up a cent from the ground. You can’t find 5 cents on the ground in Turkey, here, no matter how small it is, it is picked up and put in the pocket. At the very least, it is given to a poor person. It is very interesting, I picked up that coin in New York, looked at it and it said “E Pluribus Unum” in Latin. Then I learned its meaning and it affected me a lot. One among many. A sentence that summarizes many things in this life. The exhibition I opened was also one among many, and as an artist, I am also one among many.
If I were to explain the Laundromat installation; it is a lifestyle in America, you have to go there once a week or once a month. In Turkey, even the poorest families have a washing machine at home and it is not a luxury. And the atmosphere in these laundromats is so colorless, cold and boring that you want to leave immediately. I did the exact opposite of this environment; I think I made the most entertaining laundromat in the world with post-it notes, colorful and dozens of washing machines. It was one of the most attractive works in the exhibition.
SA: For artists in Turkey, after having a few exhibitions in Istanbul, it is very important to have an exhibition abroad. New York is especially important for artists. How important was that for you? Does it matter if it is anywhere in the world?
A.Ö: Very important. It's something like, "the whole world follows New York, if you're there you're followed, if you're not there you follow." I think that's the only answer to the question.
SA: Is the next plan to have an exhibition at the museum?
A.Ö: Why not? I'm ready.
SA: What would you like to say about your neon works?
A.Ö: As everyone knows, they are very special works. I choose special sentences that have a great reading. And every neon work I make progresses in relation to each other.
SA: So would you like to add anything to the conceptual stance of the exhibition? You address this capitalist city and country from many perspectives, but perhaps it is also a process in which you include Turkish culture.
A.Ö: An artist is greatly influenced by the country they live in. In other words, how can I put it, you join a movement and see it differently. You perceive the differences of your own country more clearly, and the works I have produced here (I went on Friday, I will be back) often come to mind when I am abroad. Looking at where you are from the outside always enriches you. But I also have a work called “Employees Must Wash Hands”, which is a work that I was inspired by and produced entirely during my stay in America.
SA: You are very interested in sociology. How do you evaluate the situation in Turkey in general?
A.Ö: Our whole life depends on how we relate to people, nature, matter, food or anything else. I do not limit this to human relationships. If the relationship you establish with a flower, an animal, food, a picture you make, a work you create is real, sincere, you start to see and be seen. Observation is a separate thing, I am a good observer. Real artists are good observers. If you look at my works carefully, you will understand how I see and interpret Turkey or the world.
SA: In your works, content and theme are important as well as you greet the audience with a visual language. Is there a conscious choice behind this that you would like to share with us?
A.Ö: There is no coincidence in any of my works, no matter how random they may seem. Every decision I make regarding the work is a conscious choice, it is my choice.
And I am inspired by everything and everyone, from a bird in flight to a fish in flight. You can see that in the diversity of my artworks. I think life itself is art, and I tell the story of life in my works. And music… music fascinates me.
I think that artists establish a different connection with life, that they hear the unheard and see the unseen. In a sense, it is like magic or witchcraft or spells. Of course, there is a hidden wisdom in this work. Also, talent is a hidden prayer.
SA: Today, the difference between being an "Artist" and being a "Painter" has become increasingly wider. How do you define this situation-process? Or where do you position yourself?
A.Ö: The more the value of art and artists increases in society, the happier the artist will be. The current situation of the artist may not be happy, but I think it is hopeful. I hope that the politics, economy and education in our country will be planned in a way that will increase this. When I am asked about my profession and I say I am an artist, I do not want to hear them say “are you a singer?” and I am struggling for this. Every time I encounter this situation, I tirelessly explain what being an artist actually means. In a way, this is something that makes me hopeless, but on the other hand, it is a part of my struggle. First, let us explain and know what art and being an artist mean, the rest is up to you.
SA: Transparent sculptures, post-it prints, neons… the materials and mediums chosen give the viewer many clues about the artist. What do the mediums mean to you?
A.Ö: Art is creativity. I am more excited to make works that add a dimension to daily life but also ask big questions simply. Silk screen printing technique is my third hand that I have developed for years and has details that are unique to me. The site-specific installations I make with post-it notes, glass sculptures and neons are the firsts of Turkish contemporary art in their own fields. Bringing together a traditional technique with a contemporary tool or a contemporary technique with a traditional object and the fact that the works I produce stimulate your tactile and perceptual abilities is what makes me an original artist. If you come across my works by surprise, you can easily say that this is Ardan's. Although the techniques I use are different, there is a superior integrity of ideas and humor.