Forbidden Games, created by Sıla Yalazan in collaboration with sisters Havin and Seval in 2019 in Istanbul’s Tarlabaşı District, draws inspiration from Bauhaus aesthetics to bridge different worlds and times in a playful way.
About Sıla Yalazan
Sıla Yalazan is an artist who researches social issues such as the survival struggle of subcultures and problems of migrant children alongside archives and imagery.
Her productions focus on amplifying the voices and experiences of marginalized communities while forming a silent connection between the old and the new world. In her works, while attempting to project the hope reborn from the cracks of the dystopia she showcases her production process in an archival manner.
Continuing her productions in various media such as photography, video, collage, drawing, and painting, Yalazan draws inspiration from punk aesthetics. Punk aesthetics often embody rebellion, DIY ethics, and a strong sense of social critique. In this context, she incorporates tools such as street art, zines, costumes, interactive elements, or music into her exhibitions to convey the energy and message of protests, expressing alternative perspectives.
You can hear more from her about her recent Oxford exhibition 'Forbidden Games' here!
After studying Print and Graphic Design in South Africa and Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, Yalazan pursued Visual Arts education in Melbourne, Australia, in 2014. Here, she curated exhibitions titled "Paradise Lost" and "Typical Girls." She then returned to Turkey to work in her studio in Tarlabaşı and participated in an exhibition titled "Growing up in the Metropolis" at Studio X (a project of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture). In 2018, Yalazan published her first photography book ("Tarlabaşı Vs Gezi") in Australia, which participated in the NY Book Fair (MoMA) and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Inspired by the 'Bauhaus' and 'Russian Avant-garde Period,' she presented her first solo exhibition titled "Forbidden Games" in 2019 at the Istanbul Literature House. In 2020, she participated in the international photography festival at 212 Photography Istanbul with the same project. Her digital image titled "Komotini" was selected to be exhibited at Tate Modern's "Beyond Surrealism" exhibition on March 22nd. In 2021, she participated in a group exhibition titled "Intentions" curated by Gül Demirdağ at 'Akbank Sanat,' presenting a 5-minute video work titled "End the Taboo" prepared with writer Steen Andersen, along with her drawings.
