Hollow and Broken: A State of the World

At La Loge, Gülsün Karamustafa presents her installation Hollow and Broken: A State of the World. In this work, she navigates the profound dialogue between humanity and space, positioning herself both within and beyond it. From the ground beneath her in Venice to her home city of Istanbul, her gaze encompasses the scars etched across the Earth's surface—wars, natural and human-made catastrophes, pervasive grief, and the steady erosion of values. These fragments lead to a world hollowed out at its core, simultaneously enveloping and collapsing into itself. Through this piece, Karamustafa reveals the fragile connection she has forged with a world where she feels, as she describes, "perhaps more foreign than anyone else."

Gülsün Karamustafa (Ankara, 1946) is one of Turkey's most influential contemporary artists, renowned for her powerful socio-political and cultural narratives. With a multidisciplinary practice encompassing painting, installation, video, and film, she explores themes such as migration, memory, identity, and gender.

Drawing from personal experiences and Turkey’s rich historical context, her work critically and poetically addresses complex subjects such as political repression, the effects of modernization, and the tension between tradition and globalization.
Karamustafa’s art is characterized by a refined aesthetic combined with deep social engagement. Iconic works like The Apartment Building (2012) and Monument and Memory (1998) shed light on issues such as the migrant experience and collective memory.
Her work has been exhibited globally, with solo exhibitions at renowned institutions such as SALT Istanbul, Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. She has also participated in international biennials, including Venice, São Paulo, and Istanbul.

Karamustafa remains a central voice in the contemporary art world, enriching the dialogue on identity and social transformation through her practice.