Diren Demir
Diren is a backpacker interdisciplinary artist who follows the guidance of the journeys in his life and artworks, as being impressed by Beat Generation. During his travels, he’s invented an anti-elitist gallery concept in a guerilla way, its called “Art Space Project”. Since Diren started this Project in a village of Fethiye in 2016, more than 30 art spaces have been established. Diren takes these paintings to the next city in his backpack, sets up new street exhibitions and gets new drawings, Art Space Project is an interactive exhibition that works for the accessibility of art and grows constantly. He has also presented an Online Exhibition for everyone else. Diren believes that art happens in everywhere and in every moment. His intention in Art Space Project is to prove that.
As being impressed by the process he had spent in Ancient Greek department at University of İstanbul in 2016, he left the school and hichhiked to the ancient cities and temples. Then he started to study Sculpture at Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts and Philosophy at the University of İstanbul as a second degree in 2017. Therefore “Paganism” and “reinterpreted ritual” concepts have been evident themes on his artworks. Because of the political situation, most of his artworks are also based on activism and disclosure practices.
In 2018 he designed a project as a solution for disabled people whose can’t able to access to the cultural places and galleries, it’s called ”Non-Barrier Art Map“ which has been chosen 1.st Project of the “Art and Culture” category in HEG social responsibility project competition. İn 2019, his Project ”Produce for Art“ which is based on developing reuned village schools by providing assistance and materials to fine art students whose can not afford their art ideas, has been chosen as the best in “Art and Culture” category again.
His literary works are mostly related to “LGBTİ+ History” and “Art” topics. İn 2018, he translated “S.T.A.R”. (”Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries“, Sub Press) to Turkish. İn 2019 he compiled the book “A Night of June: Biographical Analysis of the Stonewall Riots” (org: “Bir Haziran Gecesi: Stonewall Devriminin Biyografik Çözümlemesi” , Kaos Çocuk Parkı Publishing). In the same year Diren was selected for the artist in residency program conducted between the European Union and Turkey, called “Be Mobile, Create Together”. With the support of the Netherlands Consulate, he produced conceptual performing artworks and photo series at the Rast Theater in Amsterdam. His Artworks met a distinguished audience in the Netherlands.
In 2020, he presented series of seminars about LGBT + history on various of associations and communities and he focused on “Live Art” projects under the roof of Performistanbul. He is one of the participants of the “Contemporary Art and Curatorship” programme carried out in cooperation with the Open Dialogue İstanbul and Akbank Art Center. İn October 2020, he has selected as a participant for “Art Writers” programme carried out by Namanlı Art Center and Netherlands Consulate. Same month he has been awarded by Akbank Art Center with the 38th Akbank Contemporary Artist Prize for his interactive installation “Beyond the Wall”. Since June 2020, he has been presenting his radio show “Wild Side” on Radio Modyan featuring avant-garde/queercore music from LGBTİ + artists on every Sunday night at 10pm. Since January, “Wild Side Zine” has been prepearing to be published.
Service, 2020
Diren Demir
