About | Kerem Ozan Bayraktar

Kerem Ozan Bayraktar is an Istanbul-based artist working with site-specific installations, digital imagery, and field research. He examines actual and imaginary environments shaped by congestion, accumulation, and suspension. In his works, fragments of life, overlooked infrastructures, taxonomies, and diagrams come together in states of instability, absurdity, and fragility.

He participated in several art and research programs, including Fellowship for Situated Practice (basis voor actuele kunst, 2022, the Netherlands) and the Berlin Senate Residency Program (Zentrum fur Kunst und Urbanistik, 2021, Germany). His work has recently been featured in the Tokyo Biennale (2023, Japan), Non-/Human Assemblages (2021, South Korea), Sentient Matter (2021, D21, Germany), and Timeless Curiosities (2024, Istanbul Modern, Turkey). Bayraktar received his MFA and DFA degrees from Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Painting department. He is currently a faculty member at Sabanci University. His recent publications include Marmara (2023), Spirits on the Ground (2021) and Dunyalarin Haritalari [Maps of Worlds] (2021). Bayraktar is represented by Sanatorium.

Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, mekana özgü yerleştirmeler, dijital imgeler ve alan araştırmasıyla çalışan İstanbul merkezli bir sanatçıdır. Tıkanıklık, birikim ve askıya alma tarafından biçimlendirilen gerçek ve hayali çevreleri inceler. Yapıtlarında yaşam parçaları, göz ardı edilen altyapılar, taksonomiler ve diyagramlar istikrarsızlık, saçmalık ve kırılganlık halleri içinde bir araya gelir.

Fellowship for Situated Practice (basis voor actuele kunst, 2022, Hollanda) ve Berlin Senatosu Sanatçı Rezidansı (Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik, 2021, Almanya) dahil olmak üzere çeşitli sanat ve araştırma programlarına katılmıştır. Eserleri yakın zamanda Tokyo Bienali (2023, Japonya), Non-/Human Assemblages (2021, Güney Kore), Sentient Matter (2021, D21, Almanya) ve Zamansız Meraklar (2024, İstanbul Modern, Türkiye) sergilerinde yer almıştır. Bayraktar, Marmara Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi Resim Bölümü’nden yüksek lisans ve sanatta yeterlik derecelerini almıştır. Halen Sabancı Üniversitesi’nde öğretim üyesidir. Son yayınları arasında Marmara (2023), Yer Ruhları (2021) ve Dünyaların Haritaları (2021) yer almaktadır. Bayraktar, Sanatorium tarafından temsil edilmektedir.

Reviews & Press

2025
Pretty in Pink: Kerem Ozan Bayraktar at Diana Jesse Dorris , Canvas Magazine
2025
Check Valve: An Infrastructural Inversion Oznur Karakas , Sanatorium
2025
Her Sey Akip Gider, Bir Kati Melez Kalir Eylul Alniacik , manifold
2025
Cek Valf: Altyapinin Alti Ustu Oznur Karakas , Art Unlimited, no. 88
2025
Sistemin Ruhu Fatih Ozguven , Argonotlar
2023
Kerem Ozan Bayraktar & Artificial Intelligence Ilker Cihan Biner , NFTify
2023
Kerem Ozan Bayraktar Mercado Magazine, Issue 6
2023
Yeni Materyalizm Haritalandirmasi: Turkiye Olcegi Uras Kizil , Argonotlar
2022
Sugar and heat: red, blue, green, purple, orange Asli Seven , border_less
2022
Notes on Istanbul: Compost as an Alibi Inez Plaza Lazo , Art of the Working Class
2022
A Bit of Unruly Complexity Misal Adnan Yildiz , Sanatorium
2022
Bienal ve Bienaldisi Sergi Notlari: Iki Endiseli Fatih Ozguven , K24
2022
Akiskan Ekolojiler: On 'Strands' Ezgi Yurteri , Argonotlar
2021
Dreams of dump Zeynep Sayin , in Spirits on the Ground (ed. Soley, U.), SAHA, Sanatorium
2021
A Fictional Investigation on the Existence of Zombies Yagiz Ozgen , in Spirits on the Ground (ed. Soley, U.), SAHA, Sanatorium
2019
Ureticiler, Ayirt Ediciler ve Arada Kalanlar Ulya Soley , Guncel, Issue 26, Galeri Nev
2019
On Space, Time, Planets and Plants Ulya Soley , border_less
2019
Let's Start from the End Jing Yi Teo , so-far
2019
Bad Encounters: Crisis, death, extinction, and the end of the World as we know it Gaye Cankaya Eksen , in Rocks and Winds, Germs and Words (ed. Guler, K.), Sanatorium
2019
Rocks and Winds, Germs and Words Kevser Guler , Sanatorium
2018
Rastlanti ve Zorunluluk Ulya Soley , Art Unlimited
2012
Mapping and Functionality in Bayraktar's work Yagiz Ozgen , in Rules, Nesrin Esirtgen Collection

CV

Solo Projects

2025 Check Valve, Sanatorium, Istanbul
2020-25 Spirits on the Ground, SAHA Studio, Istanbul; Diana, New York. Curated by Ulya Soley
2022-24 Marmara Board Game & Publication, with Asli Uludag, Balikesir, Istanbul
2019 Rocks and Winds, Germs and Words, Sanatorium, Istanbul. Curated by Kevser Guler
2019 Phases of Nix, Bilsart, Istanbul
2018-24 Sokak Otlari, Istanbul
2018 Chance and Necessity, with Sergen Sehitoglu, Sanatorium, Istanbul
2015 et cetera, PGArt, Istanbul
2015 Minor Perceptions, Sekerbank Acikekran, Istanbul. Curated by Ali Akay
2012 Rules, Nesrin Esirtgen Collection, Istanbul

Research & Studio Programs

2026 Atelier Mondial, Artist-in-Residence, Basel
2023 Social Dive, Artist-in-Residence, with Busra Tunc, Tokyo Biennale, Tokyo
2021-22 Fellowship for Situated Practice, BAK, IKSV CAP; Istanbul, Utrecht
2020 Gate 27 Artist-in-Residence, with Asli Uludag, Balikesir
2020 Saha Studio, Istanbul
2019 Berlin Senate Residency Program, ZK/U, Berlin
2018-19 Istanbul Biennial Production and Research Programme, IKSV, Istanbul
2014 Trelex Residency, Nyon

Group Projects & Exhibitions

2026 Syndromes of Synthetic Never, Upper Ankyle, Athens. Curated by Evagoria Dapola
2026 Well of Love, Trencin Castle, Trencin. Curated by Ekmel Ertan
2024 Critical Shifts, Barin Han, Istanbul
2024 Timeless Curiosities, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul
2024 Geometria Situ: Traces and Poetics of Translation, Hothouse, Singapore
2023 Ghost Gardens, Tokyo Biennale, Tokyo
2022 Hauntologists, BAK, Utrecht
2022 A Bit of Unruly Complexity, Sanatorium, Istanbul
2022 Across Space -- Sympathetic Vibration, Changwon Sculpture Biennale, Changwon
2022 What Water Knows, Pilot, Istanbul
2021 Hosting Bodies, Sanatorium, Istanbul
2021 Sentient Matter, D21, Leipzig
2021 Non-/Human Assemblages, Busan Sea Art Festival, Busan
2020 Cadavre Exquis, Galeri Nev, Istanbul
2020 At the End of the Day, Odunpazari Modern Museum, Eskisehir
2020-21 Sandstorm, DEPO, Istanbul; Galerie im Kornerpark, Berlin
2020 Regular Insanity, Akbank Sanat, Istanbul
2020 I Haven't Told My Garden Yet, Monitor, Izmir
2019 Ubiquitous Surfaces, Open Space, Seager Gallery, London
2019 flesh and bone, Operation Room, Istanbul
2019 Istanbul Biennial Digestion Programme, Istanbul
2019 Light Like a Bird, Not Like a Feather, Signs, Istanbul
2019 Pandora's Black Box, Galata Greek Primary School, Istanbul
2019 A Horn in The Neck, Apartment Project, Berlin
2019 The Sound of No-one Listening, Corridor, Amsterdam
2018 colony, Abud Efendi Konagi, Istanbul; Schwules Museum, Berlin
2018 Monomit, Galeri Nev, Ankara
2018 Vanishing Mediator, Muze Evliyagil, Ankara
2017 Deep, Darkness and Splendor, Galerist, Istanbul
2017 aRb, Sanatorium, Istanbul
2017 Landslide, SALT Galata, Istanbul
2016 Ohne, Mekan68, Vienna
2016 Habitat, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul
2015 Backyard, Plato Sanat, Istanbul
2015 VIVO, Kasa, Istanbul
2015 Redefining the Space of Everyday Life, Gaia Galeri, Istanbul
2015 Art Speaks Out, Til It's Done, Icono.tv, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul
2014 Focus: Turkey, Landskrona Foto, Landskrona, Sweden
2014 [ ], PG Art, Istanbul
2013 Hypologie, Sanatorium, Istanbul
2013 Please do not disturb!, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul
2012 Simulation Crisis, Plato Sanat, Istanbul
2009 Temporary Harassment, Istanbul 2010, Istanbul
2009 You can't kiss away a murder, Galerist, Istanbul

Festivals & Fairs

2024 In Sync, Noise Media Art, Palais Festetics, Vienna
2024 Noise Media Art, Kadikoy Kent Museum, Istanbul
2023 Art Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. Solo booth, Sanatorium
2023 Untitled Art Miami, Miami. Sanatorium
2023 Contemporary Istanbul, Istanbul. Sanatorium
2022 Art Brussels, Tour & Taxis, Brussels. Sanatorium
2022 Contemporary Istanbul, Istanbul. Sanatorium
2021 Contemporary Istanbul, Istanbul. Sanatorium
2021 Digital Aura, Open Media Art Festival, Seoul
2020 Proyector Video Art Festival, Sala El Aguila, Madrid
2019 Art Dusseldorf, Areal Bohler, Dusseldorf. Sanatorium
2019 Art Brussels, Tour & Taxis, Brussels. Solo booth, Sanatorium
2019 Contemporary Istanbul, Istanbul. Sanatorium
2018 Art Dusseldorf, Areal Bohler, Dusseldorf. Sanatorium
2018 Contemporary Istanbul, Istanbul. Sanatorium
2014 Art Market Budapest, Budapest. Solo presentation, PG Art Gallery

Awards & Nominations

2016 Nomination, Prix Pictet, Geneva
2016 Long list, ING Unseen Talent Award, Amsterdam
2008 Success Award, Painting and Sculpture Museums Association, Istanbul
2008 Borders & Orbits 04, Siemens Sanat, Istanbul
2008 26. Contemporary Artists, Akbank Sanat, Istanbul
2007 Borders & Orbits 01, Siemens Sanat, Istanbul
2007 First Prize in Graduation Project, Marmara University
2007 Runner-Up Award for Academic Excellence, Marmara University

Grants

2023 Ghost Gardens, Tokyo Biennale Assoc.; SAHA
2023 Marmara (publication), SAHA Publication Fund
2022 Marmara, Marmara Kulturleri Agi & CultureCIVIC
2021-22 Fellowship for Situated Practice, BAK
2020 Saha Studio, SAHA
2020 Spirits on the Ground (publication), SAHA; Sanatorium
2019 Berlin Senate Residency Program, nGbK & Depo

Education

2011-17 Doctor of Fine Arts, Painting, Marmara University
2007-11 Master of Fine Arts, Painting, Marmara University
2009-10 MFA Exchange Program, Fine Arts, Newcastle University
2003-07 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting, Marmara University