Other Side of the Universe

Merve Atılgan

10 April - 10 May 2025

“Being ourselves leads to exile by others, but conforming to the desires of others leads to exile from ourselves…”

— Clarissa Pinkola Estés

 

Just as we have witnessed the plundering of our planet and Mother Nature, we have also seen the instinctual nature of women being suppressed, exploited, and diminished over time. When the wild woman nurtures, protects, and expands her instinctual nature, she gains a power rooted in her openness to the infinite ways of interacting with the universe. This makes her a dangerous threat to any structure of power and oppression imposed by human society.

 

What if we could break free from the oppressive violence of a system that no longer serves us and build an alternative world based on the longings we have thirsted for? A utopia where we can see sounds, touch scents, hear colors, where forms lose their form, where all that is divided becomes “one,” where the feeling of weight is replaced by an infinite and free lightness, covered with dreamlike water worlds and ancient forests…

 

Can we break the cycle of the oppressive patriarchal system that has shaped our reality for centuries? And instead, can we construct a new world of freedom and equality? The exhibition ‘Other Side of the Universe’ pursues these questions, inviting the viewer to explore their own wild nature, awaken suppressed intuition, and imagine an alternative way of existence beyond the boundaries imposed by the patriarchal system. Through the call of the “witch” (wild woman) archetype, it reminds us that a world where every being is equal and free is not just possible—it is necessary.

 

 

 

Journey to the Lunar Worl

Ecoline, pastel and acrylic on digital print, 109 x 79 cm, 2025

Stoneflower

Ecoline, pastel and acrylic on digital print, 112 x 80 cm, 2025

Flowers Ritual, Awakening of Flora

Dried flower collage, diasec print, 70 x 60 cm, 2025

Center Practice

Ecoline, pastel and acrylic on digital print, 114 x 90 cm, 2025

Self Ritual

Ecoline, pastel and acrylic on digital print, 120 x 84 cm,2025

Flower Rituals, Blue Lotus

Dried flower collage, diasec print, 70 x 60 cm, 2025

Second of the Three Spirit Nights

Ecoline, pastel and acrylic on digital print, 109 x 79 cm, 2025

Three Shades

Ecoline, pastel and acrylic on digital print, 114 x 90 cm, 2025

Flower Rituals, Flower Sabbath

Dried flower collage, diasec print, 70 x 60 cm, 2025

The Lake and Two Swans

Ecoline, pastel and acrylic on digital print, 120 x 80 cm, 2025

Ocean Tribe

Ecoline, pastel and acrylic on digital print, 86 x 110 cm, 2025