Nevin Aladağ brings together diverse artistic disciplines such as sculpture, performance, video, photography, and site-specific installations, creating a rich and multifaceted visual language. Growing up in Germany and shaped by the influence of different cultures, her work explores the continuous transformation of individual and collective identities. Themes such as migration, identity, and cultural adaptation find both aesthetic and conceptual resonance in her practice. Material selection plays a crucial role in this process; everyday objects like carpets, mirrors, fabrics, and even blinds carry social and political connotations.
Aladağ’s work prominently incorporates societal codes and references to popular culture. However, these elements transcend mere representation of specific groups, achieving a universal dimension through her artistic vision. Her visual language becomes a means to examine intertwined identities, the transformation of relationships, and the interaction between the individual and their social environment. The integration of music and performance adds a multilayered narrative to her works; sound and movement serve as vital components that strengthen the connection between the artwork and the viewer.
Her site-specific installations aim to make the viewer an integral part of the artwork. For instance, her installations using synthetic hair, arranged like stage curtains, offer both an open performance space and a platform for questioning the contours of personal and public spheres. By combining architectural elements with natural materials, she investigates the reciprocity between space, time, and sound. In projects like Pattern Kinship, Aladağ creates visual illusions through the intersections of geometric forms and vibrant colors, transforming everyday objects and patterns into tools that guide the viewer on a journey between past and present.
Born in 1972 in Van, Turkey, Nevin Aladağ migrated to Germany with her family in 1973. She studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich between 1993 and 2000. Her works have been exhibited in prestigious institutions such as SFMOMA (San Francisco, USA), Hayward Gallery (London, UK), Museum Mönchehaus (Goslar, Germany), Albertinum, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Germany), Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz (Austria), Arter (Istanbul, Turkey), and Tanas (Berlin, Germany). Additionally, she has participated in international platforms including documenta 14 (Kassel and Athens), the 57th Venice Biennale, the 11th Sharjah Biennial, the 11th Istanbul Biennial, the 8th Taipei Biennial, and the 14th International Carrara Sculpture Biennial. A recipient of awards such as the Ernst-Rietschel Art Prize for Sculpture and the George Maciunas Prize.
Nevin Aladağ lives and works in Berlin.