Mert Ateş

I am Mert. I am a figurative contemporary artist continuing my production in Istanbul. In my works, I focus on society, cultural memory and the individual's reflex of forgetting. Particularly, the temporariness of collective memory, directed forgetting mechanisms and the rapidly transforming structure of the agenda form the foundation of my practice. Instead of adhering to a fixed visual language, I research the form required by the idea I address. I progress through figurative references, documentary images and everyday scenes; I reconstruct the image through interventions such as erasing, covering, blocking and blurring. These interventions are not merely aesthetic choices for me, but also an intellectual and political stance. I value positioning the viewer not as a passive observer, but as a witness. The tension between the clear and the uncertain, between what is made visible and areas that are consciously withdrawn, lies at the center of my works.

I was born in Istanbul in 2004. From an early age, I developed a deep interest in art. In 2022, I began my undergraduate studies at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, and I am now completing my third year . My artistic practice spans a wide range, from traditional painting techniques to AI-assisted new media works. In my productions, I explore themes such as individual memory, memory loss, visual obscurity, and figurative abstraction. My works have also been recognized internationally. I was awarded third place at the Timișoara Biennial in Romania. Furthermore, my AI-assisted, art-based software project was exhibited in 2024 at Shelter Artist Run Space in Lisbon, Portugal. A similar short film of mine was also presented to audiences in Çanakkale at Bordo Bina as part of the exhibition "Impossible Promise." I was born in Istanbul in 2004. From an early age, I developed a deep interest in art. In 2022, I began my undergraduate studies at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Fine Arts Painting Department and I am currently completing my third year. My artistic practice covers a wide range, from traditional painting techniques to artificial intelligence-assisted new media works. In my productions, I explore themes such as individual memory, memory loss, visual ambiguity and figurative abstraction. My works have also been recognized internationally. I received third place award at the Timișoara Biennial in Romania. Additionally, my artificial intelligence-assisted, art-based software project was exhibited in 2024 at Shelter Artist Run Space in Lisbon, Portugal. A similar short film of mine was also presented to audiences at Bordo Bina in Çanakkale as part of the "Impossible Promise" exhibition.

Exhibitions -Third place at the Timișoara Biennial / Painting Category - Romania / 2024 -İmpossible Promise - Lisbon, Portugal / 2024 -İmpossible Promise - Türkey / 2024 -İnternational Print Exhibition - Ankara, Turkey / 2025 -Teravarna 10th Color Competition, Honorable Mention Award - 2026 -Jackson Art Prize Extended Longlist - 2026 ( on going) Exhibitions -Third place in Painting Category at Timișoara Biennial - Romania / 2024 -Impossible Promise - Lisbon, Portugal / 2024 -Impossible Promise - Turkey / 2024 -International Print Exhibition - Ankara, Turkey / 2025 -Teravarna 10th Color Competition, Honorable Mention Award - 2026 -Jackson Art Prize Extended Longlist - 2026 (ongoing)