BIO_
_
MATHILDE
MELEK
AN
is a Franco-Turkish artist born in 1989, in Vincennes, France, with a body of work imbued by the interplay of the duality of her roots, establishing her artistic practice between Normandy, France and Istanbul, Turkey.
Holding a DNSEP from the École Supérieure des Arts et Médias de Caen/Cherbourg, ESAM, complemented by an Erasmus experience at the University of Mimar Sinan in Istanbul, has provided her to develop a multifaceted artistic practice showcased in exhibitions worldwide, including Au Pays des Merveilles in Namur [2024], Made Anywhere at the Fondation Fiminco in Paris [2024], and Mamut Art Project in Istanbul [2022].
AN delves into themes of memory, identity, and multiculturalism, often employing a mixed media approach through immersive installations and performance art. Collaboration with artists, collectives and communities, plays a significant role in her practice, engaging in projects like Memento at the Mahalla festival, in Istanbul [2024], and Manhattan... I only could dream of it with the collective Wasteband after a month in New York City [2016],
She has presented Golddess to the public in various performance appearances at international festivals over the years.
Through her work, she seeks to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, while inviting audiences to reflect on personal and collective experiences of mobility, transition and transformation.
CURRENTLY_
SAHA Studio _ artist resident _ January - June _ 2025 _ IMÇ Blok 5_ Istanbul _ Turkey
NEW : NOW _ CerModern _ April 12th - May 7th _ 2025 _ Ankara _ Turkey [group show]
Magic Carpets _ Creative Europe platform _ emerging curator with Diyalog Association _ Kaunas Biennial _ Lithuania
C_V_
EDUCATION_
EXHIBITIONS_
PERFORMANCES_
RESIDENCY_
WORKSHOPS_
GRANTS_
OCCUPATION_
2012 _ DNSEP _ ESAM _ École Supérieure des Arts et Médias de Caen/Cherbourg _ Caen _ France
2011 _ Erasmus program _ University of Mimar Sinan _ Fine Arts Faculty _ Istanbul _ Turkey
2010 _ DNAP _ ESAM _ Caen _ France
Abstract Deities _ Gallery Büyükdere35 _ curator Suay Aytaman _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2025 [group]
Au Pays des Merveilles _ Galerie du Beffroi _ curator Lieux communs _ Namur _ Belgium _ 2024 [group]
Memento _ Mahalla Festival _ curator Sabine Küper-Büsch _ Ioakimion school_ Istanbul_ Turkey _ 2024 [group]
Made Anywhere _ Fondation Fiminco _ curator Nicholas Vargelis _ Romainville _ France _ 2024 [group]
Mamut Art Project _ 10th edition _ YapiKredi Bomontiada _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2022 [group]
Murmuration _ Mahalla Festival _ curator Sabine Küper-Büsch _ Kadiköy Sanat Merkezi _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2021 [group]
Splash _ Comédie de Caen _ CDN de Normandie _ curator Romuald Jandolo _ Hérouville St-Clair _ France _ 2021 [group]
Contemporary Istanbul _ Mahalla Festival _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2019 [group]
Generating New narratives _ Mahalla Festival _ curator Sabine Küper-Büsch _ Palazzo Zabbar _ Zabbar _ Malta _ 2018 [group]
Mahalla Festival Share House _ Fortress Builders _ Valletta _ Malta _ 2018 [group]
MArchives Forms _ with Amnon Friedman _ Salón Silicón gallery _ curator Olga Rodriguez _ Mexico City _ Mexico _ 2018 [duo]
TIRAJE, Art Book Fair _ Salón Silicón gallery _ Queretaro _ Mexico _ 2018 [group]
Open Performance Space _ Istanbul Performance Art _ curator Derin Pinar Gençer _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2017 [group]
Tomtom Tasarim sokakta _ Tomtom Kirmizi _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2017 [group]
Artissima _ VillaDellaFucina _Turino _ Italy _ 2017 [group]
Under the thunder _ with Romuald Jandolo _ MAstudio _ Istanbul, Turkey _ 2017 [duo]
Background _ Duchamp gallery _ curator Séverine Duhamel _ Yvetot _ France _ 2017 [group]
Mavi Melek _ Event as part of the Month of Photography OFF Berlin _ Erratum gallery _ Berlin _ Germany _ 2016 [solo]
curators Delphine Marinier & Lan Hungh
Manhattan...I could only dream it ! _ The secret Studio _ Wasteband collective _ New York City _ USA _ 2016 [group]
LA Artshow _ Gama gallery _ Los Angeles _ USA _ 2016 [group]
A Drop in A Pool _ Parallel event for the 14th Istanbul Biennial _ Gama gallery _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2015 [solo]
curator Orane Robiolle
Slideluck _ Soho House _ curator Casey Kelbaugh _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2015 [group]
Gelincik _ Gama gallery _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2014 [solo]
Contemporary Istanbul _ Gama gallery _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2014 [group]
The Cosmopolitan Cultures & Fine Art Fair _ Gama gallery _ Macao _ China _ 2014 [group]
Cutlog _ Gama gallery _ New York City _ USA _ 2013 [group]
Contemporary Istanbul _ Gama gallery _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2012 [group]
À suivre 2012 _ ESAM _ curator Audrey Illouz _ Caen _ France _ 2012 [group]
Court Circuit _ Oh gallery _ Caen _ France _ 2012 [group]
16ème Biennale de céramique contemporaine _ Châteauroux _ France _ 2011 [group]
Ceram XXL _ Le Petit Lieu Poileboine gallery _ Caen _ France _ 2011 [group]
Layers of home _ Giswil Art International Festival 21st edition _ Giswil _ Switzerland _ 2022
curators Benjamin Sunarjo & Andrea Saeman
Performance - Appearance _ Golddess
Openart Biennale _ Online streaming from Istanbul _ Örebro _ Sweden _ 2019
curator Fikret Atay
Mahalla Festival _ Palazzo Zabbar _ Zabbar _ Malta _ 2018
curator Sabine Küper-Büsch
Tomtom Tasarim sokakta _ Istanbul Performance Art _ Tomtom Kirmizi _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ 2017
curator Derin Pinar Gençer
Visions-V_Ideas, Performance _ Beton7 _ Athens _ Greece _ 2017
curator Demosthenes Agrafiotis
SAHA Studio 9th period _ IMÇ _ Istanbul _ Turkey _ January - June 2025
Portrait Authentique _ Domaine de Chamarande _ Essonne _ France _ 2019
Aide Individuelle à la Création _ DRAC Normandie _ France _ 2020
SAHA support _ Generating New narratives _ Mahalla Festival_ Malta _ 2018
Diyalog Association _ chairwoman _ project assistant _ based in Istanbul _ Turkey
Magic Carpets _ Creative Europe platform _ emerging curator with Diyalog Association _ Kaunas Biennial _ Lithuania
Media support _ translator & fixer