Renowned artist Habip Aydoğdu’s exhibition “Notes to an Unlived History” opened at CerModern’s Main Hall. At 76, Aydoğdu said his works are drawn from unfulfilled dreams and subconscious burdens, adding, “This is also a reckoning. Life never turns out exactly as planned. Of course, there are plans, but no matter how carefully you make them, suddenly life tears them apart and leads you elsewhere.”
M. FERHAT YÜKSEL
As the first show in CerModern’s “Biographies” series, the exhibition presents Aydoğdu’s works from 2000 to 2025 in chronological order. It reveals the dialogue his art establishes with both his own geography and the social, political, and cultural contexts of other regions.
LIFE DISRUPTS YOUR PLANS
Explaining that his work is nourished by unfulfilled dreams and a “what is meant to be, will be” outlook, Aydoğdu said:
“Everyone carries some trouble. Most people keep it hidden. I dig into those wounds, the ones buried deep in the subconscious, hardened and calcified. My painterly approach allows improvisation. When I paint, I enter a kind of trance, which gives me the courage to dive headlong into those places. I try to create a memory, a visual record, from the traces I bring back. This is also a reckoning. Life never unfolds the way it’s planned. Even when the plan exists, life can suddenly change it, steering you elsewhere.”
PUSHING MYSELF IN LARGER SPACES
Although he has staged large-scale exhibitions in recent years, Aydoğdu expressed a desire to take on even broader projects:
“I have turned 76, and now I want to challenge myself in bigger venues, both abroad and in Türkiye. Of course, I am grateful. I know there are many things I have not experienced, but also many that I have. That is life. For this show, I drew from my own life. I chose to dive into my subconscious, to build on what I have not lived. But in truth, this is a universal matter. It applies to everyone. We are people who give thanks. That is a beautiful thing, to be grateful. But we also say: it could have been better, and yet we are still thankful.”
LIFE IS SHAPED MORE BY WHAT WE HAVE NOT LIVED
Reflecting on how unlived moments shape existence, Aydoğdu said:
“We never know what else we could have experienced. Perhaps we had completely different dreams, but life veered off elsewhere. You meet someone, cross paths with a teacher, attend another school, grow up with a different mother, encounter a friend, and life suddenly turns into something else. You make plans, but then something happens on the way and your course changes. Sometimes these changes deeply alter your life. In fact, our lives are made up less of what we experience and more of what we don’t. This is true for everyone. That is what I try to address.”
UNREALIZED DREAMS
Speaking about his own unfulfilled desires, Aydoğdu said:
“I longed to work in much larger spaces and to present comprehensive exhibitions in the world’s most prestigious museums and galleries. Some of this happened in Türkiye, some abroad. But my dreams were far greater. I wanted to have a granddaughter. It never happened. I wished to speak English and French, to joke with artists, critics, and intellectuals in their own language, to enrich myself with them, and share something in return. I barely pursued my three-dimensional works. My heart was always there, but I couldn’t make it real. I wanted to create monumental, large-scale sculptures, but I didn’t have the space. When you work in small studios, it’s nearly impossible to preserve such works. Maybe one day it will happen. That dream still lives within me.”
Curated by Mustafa Ağatekin, “Notes to an Unlived History” will remain on view at CerModern’s Main Hall until December 14.
