Yüksel Dilan Domaniç Nalbantoğlu
Yüksel Dilan Domaniç Nalbantoğlu was born in Istanbul in 1993. She completed her high school education at Üsküdar American Academy. She graduated from Koç University with a double major in Economics and International Relations and a minor in Media and Visual Arts. She continues her academic and artistic production within an interdisciplinary framework, relating her work to cultural studies and critical theory. She completed her master’s degree in the Cultural Studies Program at Istanbul Bilgi University. In her thesis, she examined the sense of smell in contemporary art through multisensory aesthetics and experience, analyzing the transformative power of art together with its political and cultural contexts. She is currently pursuing her PhD with a scholarship in the field of Conservation of Cultural Heritage at Kadir Has University. In her doctoral research, she investigates the relationship between cultural production processes and the public sphere, institutions, and social transformation, with a focus on cultural policies and museology.
Encounters
"Encounters" embarks on an exploration of the momentary tensions sparked by unplanned and coincidental gatherings, the potential of re-acquaintances, and the dynamics that shape human relationships.
The exhibition centers on the state of being unprepared—perhaps the most defining feature of an encounter, where viewers come together, seemingly at random, with themselves, their likenesses, and the “others.” In doing so, the initial contact between those who meet extends beyond a simple convergence; it becomes an opportunity for recognition, and perhaps even a kind of connection never previously experienced.
The exhibition’s theme aims to offer the viewer a chance to experience the new possibilities brought forth by these unplanned meetings and serendipitous moments. It constructs a space where difficult dialogues, unexpected monologues, and even silence itself can generate meaning. While questioning one’s relationship with the self and with the “other,” the exhibition seeks to build bridges between different perspectives and alternate realities because encounters always hold the potential to transform, opening doors to unexpected revelations and introspective depth.
More than providing a purely aesthetic experience, the exhibition invites the viewer to explore the boundaries of their relationships with themselves and with others. Each work reveals the power of encounters, the emergence of new possibilities, the resonance of difficult conversations, and the transformative nature of re-acquaintance. In this way, the viewer’s engagement with the exhibition evolves beyond passive observation, becoming a process of active participation and discovery.