Begüm Yamanlar, 1989

Begüm Yamanlar received her bachelor’s degree in Photography and Video from Bahçeşehir University, and her master’s degree in Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design from Sabancı University. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies at Bahçeşehir University.
Yamanlar combines a fixed photographic frame with other images through juxtaposition and layering, establishing a part-to-whole relationship that evokes a sense of slow motion and invites subjective interpretation. In her photographs and videos, she uses deconstructive interventions to explore themes such as the past, future, process, change, transformation, and memory—through relational dynamics shaped by the concept of time. In addition to her interest in interiors and private spaces with distinctive features, Yamanlar also engages with public spaces where subjective and objective transformation can be observed. 
Her video, “The Scene,” centers on a fictional transformation of the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) in Taksim—one of Istanbul’s key cultural landmarks—using footage from the building’s dormant period before its reconstruction. Rather than portraying a venue that once hosted countless cultural events, Yamanlar presents a derelict space detached from its memory. Focusing on an abandoned, dark, and desolate structure, “The Scene” invites viewers to merge their own perceptions and memories with the space itself, generating new associations and evoking the relationship between what actually happened and what is remembered.