Leman Sevda Darıcıoğlu
1985, b. Izmir. based on Istanbul.
The artist produces mostly in the field of performance art but also (rarely) in other disciplines like installation, video, photography etc. She1 sees the process of making art as a performative research on theself and she uses the work as a tool to transform her limits, her boundaries and her subjectivity and also to create new corporal concepts to think, to imagine, to dream, to act, to be and to become. Her works are based on this two layers: The transformative power of the body work and the intellectual/political/ethical concept (which speak with one voice to her) of the project. She views the body as a resource to be unravelled; as a laboratory of emotions, fears and limits; and as an intensity space of encounters. She believes in the power of the present and the touch. If and when she needs to define herself as an artist, she chooses to use the ‘queer artist’ title. Her take of ‘queer’ does not only refer to an area beyond heterosexuality and binary sex, but also to a space beyond normativity itself.
She had been in the advisory team of a series of queer theory writings called Queer Düş’ün [Queer Fantasy/Thought/Dream] between 2012 - 2019 and has been the translator of some queer books in the selection, in Sel Publishing House. She also edited and compiled a queer theory book called Queer Temaşa [Queer Contemplation/Spectacle], as a part of the series (2016).
She was a member of Istanbul Queer Art Collective between 2014-2017. She pursued a queer collaborative performance project called fuckmekitty between 2016-2017. She continues to her performance works as a Performistanbul international performance platform artist since 2017.
Curated exhibitions
2016 Dream Pavilion w ith Yekhan Pınarlıgil and Murat Alat; as part of Unexpected Territories, 26. International TUYAP Istanbul Art Fair, TÜYAP, Istanbul, Turkey
Some of live performances
2019 Surrounded by water, 4 Hours, Kunstraum Gallery, As part of F U T U R E R I T U A L, Curated by Joseph Morgan Schofield, London, England
1 * question of the pronouns has always been an issue to the artist. as someone who doesn’t identify theirself under binary gender system. performistanbul.org [email protected]
2019 Complete Incomplete, 27 Days/6 Hours a Day, B2 House, Curator: Performistanbul, Çanakkale, Turkey
2019 (Trio) Sandra, Joseph and me: a Trio Ritual, 9 hours, under the tutorship of VestAndPage and Andrigo&Aliprandi, as part of Venice International Performance Art Week: Dis-Sensus, Performance art summer class, curated by VestAndPage and Andrigo&Aliprandi, C32 Performing Art Working Space, Forte Marghera, Venice, Italy 2019 (Trio) Sandra, Joseph and me. For the first time, for 45min., under the tutorship of VestAndPage and Andrigo&Aliprandi, as part of Venice International Performance Art Week: Dis-Sensus, Performance art summer class, curated by VestAndPage and Andrigo&Aliprandi, C32 Performing Art Working Space, Forte Marghera, Venice, Italy 2019 (Duo) A Friendship Laboratory On Challenge And Transformation, 3 days, 10 hours each day, as part of International Performance Art Festival, curated by Emma Møller and Jørgen Callesen; Warehouse9, Copenhagen, Denmark 2019 (Solo) 3 days with MASA, 3 days, 8 hours each day, as part of Masa project, Blok Art Space, with the cooperation of Performistanbul and Blok Art Space, Büyük Valide Han, Istanbul, Turkey
2018 (Performer in other artist's work) 24 hour host by Lauren McCarthy, performing for 24 hour without interval, Digilogue, Zorlu Performing Arts Center, Istanbul, Turkey 2018 (Solo) waiting II: Darağaç, 24 hour-long without interval, as a part of exhibition Darağaç III, curated by Darağaç Initiative, Umur bey area, Izmir, Turkey 2018 (Solo) calculus of mouth, 6 hours, Live stream Performance Art Pavillion in 18th Asia Art Biennale Bangladesh, curated by Mahburur Rahman, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2018 (Solo) The Punishment, 2 hours, a Corner in the World Festival, curated by Burcu Yılmaz, Claire Zerhouni and Fatih Gençkal, Bomontiada Alt, Istanbul, Turkey 2018 (Solo) waiting I, 2 hours, International Performance Art Festival 2018, curated by Emma Møller, Gritt Uldall-Jessen and Jørgen Callesen; Warehouse9, Copenhagen, Denmark 2018 (Solo) Looking after a rose, 28 days without interval, needed:you, a 672 hours long live process, curated by Simge Burhanoğlu, Galata, Istanbul, Turkey
2017 (Solo) A place to die, 4 hours, under the tutorship of VestAndPage, Venice International Performance Art Week Co-Creation Prologue I, curated by Francesco Carol Rolla and VestAndPage; Palazzo Mora, Venice, Italy 2017 (Collective) Come home – Home IV [curated and tutored by VestAndPage], 2 hours, Venice International Performance Art Week Co-Creation Prologue I, curated by Francesco Carol Rolla and VestAndPage, Palazzo Mora, Venice, Italy performistanbul.org [email protected]
2017 (Performer in other artist work) The Domain of things by Pedro Gomez-Egana, [performed 8 hours, 3 times a week for 2 months], 15. Istanbul Biennale, curated by Elmgreen & Dragset, Istanbul, Turkey 2017 (Solo) Contour, 2 hours, Mamut Performances Program “How Are You?” , curated by Simge Burhanoğlu & Seyhan Musaoğlu, Mamut Art Project, Küçük Çiftlik Park, Istanbul, Turkey 2017 (Solo) Empoisened Princess, 10 days, 8 hours each day, ALAN Istanbul, with the cooperation of Performistanbul and ALAN Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
2016 (Solo) love tr, 3 hours, within Sevinç Altan exhibition Perde [Curtain], Faik Paşa Cad. No: 5 Çukurcuma, Istanbul, Turkey 2016 (Solo) Who has come, who has gone, 6 days, 2 hours each day, Unexpected Territories, 26. International TÜYAP Istanbul Art Fair, TÜYAP, Istanbul, Turkey 2016 (Solo) X, 6 hours, 44A Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey 2016 (Solo) Ladylike, 90 minutes, Space Debris Art Space, Istanbul & 3 hours, as a part of remembrance program for Boysan Yakar (a gay/drag queen activist/artist friend passed away in a traffic accident), Ark Kültür, Istanbul, Turkey
2015 (Duo) iloveyou, 25 min., Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week, D22, Istanbul & Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Fındıklı, II. Visibility in Art Festival, Istanbul, Turkey
Some of selected group exhibitions & art events
2 019 SHHH..!, Santralistanbul Energy Museum, Istanbul, Turkey unspeakable home, enchanting companions, Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, Germany 2019 The I is Always In The Field of Other, Evliyagil Museum, Ankara, Turkey 2019 Celebrating Mother Language, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2018 This is not a performance, Daire Sanat, Performistanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
2017 Asian Women Artists, Jeonbuk Museum of Art, Jeonju, South Korea 2017 Akbank Contemporary Artist Prize Exhibition, Akbank Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2016 V.PerfoArtNet International Performance Biennale, Bogota, Colombia
Selected art events & venues where the artist performed as a member of Istanbul Queer Art Collective
performistanbul.org [email protected]
Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich, Switzerland; II. Sound Acts Festival, Athens, Greece; Les Belles de Nuit Festival, Photobastei, Zurich, Switzerland; Mamut Art Project, Istanbul, Turkey; Blok Art Space, Istanbul, Turkey
Artist residencies
2018 13-25 November Artist residency at Forum Dança Associação Cultural, curated by Sezen Tonguz, Lisbon, Portugal
2018 14-22 April Artist residency at Warehouse9, curated by Emma Møller, Gritt Uldall-Jessen and Jørgen Callesen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Some of workshops & talks she led/gave
2019 Art, Body, Space, one week workshop, with Aslı Bostancı, Nesin Art Village, Izmir, Turkey 2019 Transparent area, with Ali Emir Tapan, as part of needed:you 672 hours-long live process first anniversary artist talks, Performistanbul, Istanbul, Turkey 2019 Queer performance. Talking about chance, challenge and transformation, round table with Liad Hussein Kantorowicz and Maria Dolores, with the moderation of Gizem Aksu, Pembe Hayat Kuir Fest, Dramaqueer, Istanbul, Turkey 2019 How deep it is so true, how true it is so deep, performance art workshop for 2 days, Circuit Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey 2019 How deep it is so true, how true it is so deep, performance art workshop for 2 days, Performistanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
2018 Artist talk and presentation in the end of the residency period, Forum Dança, Lisbon, Portugal 2018 How deep it is so true, how true it is so deep, performance art workshop for 2 days, Forum Dança, Lisbon, Portugal 2018 The body as a laboratory of emotions and fears or how did I transform by performance art?, artist talk, loading, Diyarbakır, Turkey 2018 Being one and one of the collective, 5 hours-long body/movement workshop, International Performance Art Week, Warehouse9, Copenhagen, Denmark 2018 LGBTI+ Art and Censorship, International Performance Art Week, Warehouse9, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017 International Women Art Conference: The Femininity of Asian Women Artists, Jeonbuk performistanbul.org [email protected]
Museum of Art, Jeonbuk, South Korea
2016 Beyond the judgements, 4 hours-long body/movement workshop, Pembe Hayat LGBTT Solidarity Association, Ankara, Turkey 2016 Radical tenderness, 4 hours-long body/movement workshop, ÇATI Contemporary Dance Artist Association, Istanbul, Turkey 2016 What is hidden on the body I, 6 hours-long body/movement workshop, Ankara Feminist Collective, Ankara, Turkey 2016 With our body, With the earth, 3 hours, 2 days-long body/movement workshop, I. Siyah Pembe Uçgen Queer Healing Camp, Izmir, Turkey
Some of workshops/classes she took
2019 Dis-Sensus, Intensive summer class for 10 days, Venice International Performance Art Week, with the tutorship of VestAndPage and Andrigo&Aliprandi, C32 Performing Art Space, Venice, Italy 2019 Cleaning The House, led by Paula Garcia, Lynsey Peisinger and Billy Zhao, Marina Abramovic Institute, Evia, Greece 2018 Cleaning The House, led by Paula Garcia, Marina Abramovic Institute, Serifos, Greece 2017 Co-Creation Factory Prologue I, Intensive 1 week workshop, Venice International Performance Art Week, with the tutorship of VestAndPage, Palazzo Mora, Venice, Italy
Works in collections Hello I'm Leman, a woman artist from Turkey, video performance work in Jeonbuk Museum of Art public art collection philia, video work in two private collections in Turkey Untitled (photography work) in a private collection in Turkey
performistanbul.org [email protected]