Esra Gülmen

ESRA GÜLMEN | Museum Angewandte Kunst FFM

On Thursday, August 27, the exhibition “Eagles, Medals, Ballot Boxes: Redesigning Democratic Representation” opens at the Museum of Applied Arts in Frankfurt am Main.

A ballot box, a heraldic animal, an order of merit: three objects that play a surprisingly significant role in the everyday life of our democracy—yet are rarely given much thought. This is precisely where the exhibition comes in. It invites visitors to take a fresh look at familiar symbols of the democratic community and to ask whether they still align with what we understand by democracy today.

feat.:
Rozbeh Asmani, Uri Barnea, Moritz Bendl, Nehora Chajes, Maciej Chmara, Kadijatou Dahaba, Neta Magda Dror, Petra Esveld, Kane Tank, Agata Germain, Gestaltungszentrale Politik, Santiago Gomez, Esra Gülmen, Juan Guse, Jianping He, Jarek Kozakiewicz, Nadine Kolodziey, Pauli Muszi, Itay Noy, Ingo Offermanns, Krzysztof Oleksiak, Stanislaw Orlowski, Daniel Afriyie Owusu, Oxa, Haim Parzon, Peter Post, Emma Rahe, Anna Rosinke, Kaj Schlicht.

ESRA GÜLMEN | Double Cover ZEITmagazin n° 33

Esra Gülmen was invited to design the cover for this week’s issue (No. 33) of ZEITmagazine. Following numerous institutional exhibitions and museum acquisitions, this marks another significant achievement in Gülmen’s career.

“I dedicate 'Phoenixes – From Ashes to Dawn' to all the women whose bodies, identities or very existence have been censored, controlled, questioned or pushed to the margins. To those who continue to exist despite everything. To those who rise from their own ashes.” – Esra Gülmen

In collaboration with the artist, the gallery will offer a limited-edition fine art print series for “Phoenixes – From Ashes to Dawn” later this summer.

ANDREAE CLEMENT PARROTTA | Gallery Weekend Bonn 2025

July 11–13: Bonn-based galleries Judith Andreae, Gisela Clement and Parrotta Contemporary Art welcome you to a joint gallery weekend. The kick-off for this annual event will take place thisJuly at the Parrotta Contemporary Art gallery at Burg Lede. The focus is on the current exhibition ‘Looking for a Place to Hide. Nature as a Refuge?’, which is on display in the salon and park of Burg Lede. It is complemented by curatorial impulses and artistic contributions from the programmes of the Judith Andreae and Gisela Clement galleries. For one weekend, a dialogue with and about art will take place. As individual as the galleries' orientations are, this weekend they will celebrate their common ground in dealing with current topics in contemporary art by opening their spaces, networking and at the same time sending a strong signal about the cultural significance and social contribution of their work in Bonn.

Friday, 11 July
Opening at 6 p.m. with the ‘Hideaway’ cocktail
Guided tours at 7 and 8 p.m.

Saturday, 12 July
3-9 p.m.
Guided tours at 4, 6 and 8 p.m.

Sunday, 13 July
11 a.m.-6 p.m., parallel to the "Tag der offenen Gartenpforte"

featured artists (a.o.):
Blockadia*Tiefsee
Anna & Bernhard Blume
Johannes Brus
Felix Contzen
Martin Feipel & Jean Bechameil
Esra Gülmen
Martin Pfeifle
Ulrike Rosenbach

An der Burg Lede 1, 533225

ESRA GÜLMEN | Plataforma, Guadalajara, Mexico

TILE BY TILE, I EXIST. Opening June 22 @ Plataforma, Guadalajara, Mexico. Esra Gülmen’s first solo exhibition in Mexico, will open this coming June 22 at Plataforma. As a continuation of her exploration of an uncensorable present and her commitment to questioning the suppression of expression, Esra builds a playful space full of questions.

For the past few months, the berlin-based artist has been tirelelssly working on new ceramic pieces during her residency at Ceramica Suro, a renowned ceramics studio in Mexico. Esra Gülmen (*1986, Istanbul) creates contemporary iconography rooted in today’s visual culture while drawing from the past. Her playful, ironic works reveal social codes, the human condition, and everyday obsessions. She torpedoes idealized narratives in contemporary art, using irony and parody while fluidly navigating the boundaries between sculpture and painting.

Her provocative series Uncensorable playfully reverses oppression through mosaic panels— censoring what society tries to hide: love, dissent, intimacy. Using ceramic tiles, a staple of Islamic art, Gülmen challenges cultural constraints. What began as a response to censorship in Middle Eastern countries now explores broader suppression—whether by government, religion, society, or internalized fear. The technique itself becomes a statement, covering yet revealing suppressed expression.

ESRA GÜLMEN | Tile by Tile, I exist.

ESRA GÜLMEN | Art Düsseldorf

Esra Gülmen @ Art Düsseldorf | Galerie Judith Andreae Booth J07

Exhibiting within the section "Solo and Projects" under the theme “Love is the Answer”, Esra Gülmen explores love in all its facets, from romantic ideals to chosen and familial bonds, as well as its social and political dimensions. The selected works, presented by Galerie Judith Andreae at Booth J07, reflect both euphoric moments of happiness and the darker sides of love.

Berlin-based artist Esra Gülmen (*1986, Istanbul) creates contemporary iconography rooted in today’s visual culture while drawing from the past. Her playful, ironic works reveal social codes, the human condition, and everyday obsessions. She torpedoes idealized narratives in contemporary art, using irony and parody while fluidly navigating the boundaries between sculpture and painting.

Her provocative series Uncensorable playfully reverses oppression through mosaic panels— censoring what society tries to hide: love, dissent, intimacy. Using ceramic tiles, a staple of Islamic art, Gülmen challenges cultural constraints. What began as a response to censorship in Middle Eastern countries now explores broader suppression—whether by government, religion, society, or internalized fear. The technique itself becomes a statement, covering yet revealing suppressed expression.

For her solo presentation at Art Düsseldorf, two new pieces debut: One reflects on suppressed relationships via a secret love letter, inspired by the Berlin Wall’s emotional separation. The other, a duvet installation, examines integration, displacement, and belonging—framing integration as a two-way process of change. Beyond mosaics, Gülmen’s broader practice includes language-based installations and sculptures exploring emotional contradiction.

Art Düsseldorf April 11-13, 2025

LIEBE IST ALLES | gallerytalk.net

Es gibt immer wieder Ausstellungen, da soll es zeitlich einfach nicht sein, sie live zu sehen. Wenn die Sehnsucht zu groß wird, muss die Technik herhalten. Kann ein Videocall die Sehnsucht stillen? Im Falle der Gruppenausstellung “Liebe ist alles” in der Galerie Judith Andreae musste der Versuch gewagt werden. Zu sehen sind unter anderem Arbeiten von Marina Abramović & Ulay, Katherine Bradford, Lucia Kempkes und Esra Gülmen. Die Ausstellung gar nicht zu sehen war keine Option. Die Liebe eben.

Lara Brörken über die Ausstellung "LIEBE IST ALLES, LOVE IS EVERYTHING" auf gallerytalk.net.