Let the Sunshine in

Ferhat Özgür’s artistic practice explores the relations between the individual and society, the complex repercussions of urban life on identity and belonging, the cultural geography shaped by migration, and the challenging processes of displacement through various mediums such as painting, photography, video and installation. The transformations undergone by cities and streetscape in the socio-political climate of the 1970s in Turkey constitute a critical source of inspiration for the artist. Rooted in daily experiences, actions and observations of urban life, his videos and photographs are based on performative narratives that are not tied to specific locations, allowing them to be enacted in diverse settings.

"Let the Sunshine In" belongs to a series of works Özgür produced in 2012, during his residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. This black and white photograph, taken by the artist inside the room which was allocated to him as his studio and living space for the duration of his residency, stands as one of his most peculiar and enigmatic works. The identity and the activities of the person (possibly the artist himself) in the photograph remain unclear. The individual in the image is seen grasping the frame of a partially open window as he stands on a stool. Judging from the dark-coloured curtains drawn and fastened together at both ends and to a portable table as though to prevent them from being closed ever again, it seems that the actions of this anonymous person in the room began long before the moment captured in the photograph. A large cushion conspicuously placed against the slightly open window looks as if it has been placed there to prevent it from closing. An intriguing optical illusion occurs as the person, potentially a window cleaner, bends the end of what appears to be a part of the window blinds and presses it against the glass pane. Despite being inside the room, it is as if the person’s arm has passed through the glass, blurring the transparent boundary between ‘inside’ and ‘outside’. The more we observe this scene, the more perplexing the questions become: Where is this room located, why does it seem so empty, who is the person standing by the window, and what is the purpose of this setup? Özgür, who intentionally refrains from providing definitive answers to these questions, brought no external materials when rearranging the anonymous room – which normally contains only a table and a chair and lacks personal traces – so as to allow anyone to take possession of it for a length of time. Through this minimalist constellation, the artist invites the outside world into the room, allowing daylight and shadows to fill its emptiness.