Out of Sight

Mert Diner’s new exhibition, “Out of Sight,” will be on display at İMALAT-HANE from January 20 to April 27, 2024.

Under the title “Out of Sight,” Mert Diner’s works come together to explore the theme of covering and concealing, focusing on the temporal evolution of the relationship with the unseen and the void and the possibilities on the surface within this framework. Departing from various starting points, the artist sometimes traces the covered traces on the city’s walls and, at other times, attempts to follow and understand what has been covered in one’s memory and consciousness. Engaging with what is behind/hidden, the artist tries to make what falls into the void visible, even if only momentarily.

“In the ground floor of İMALAT-HANE, we see Mert Diner’s works that have evolved into three different series and have been exhibited in various locations between 2016-2022. The drawings welcoming us on the entrance wall represent the current point where his practice has evolved in addition to these three series. As we progress inside the space, we observe the change in the color palette, the acceptance of the failure to cover, the transparency of the covering layers, and the persistent seepage of the images left underneath from the edges.

Taking a tour of the space and returning to the entrance wall, we see that Diner is gradually freeing himself from the burdens on top, uncovering the layers beneath; inviting the audience into the space with drawings that provide visual clues to open up his personal history behind the paintings – in other words, with the most intimate and generous aspect of his practice.” – Deniz Kirkali

About the Artist:
Mert Diner (b. 1976, Iskenderun) builds his painting practice on the contradictory relationship between the visible and the invisible and the situational outcomes of the void associated with the unknown. Drawing inspiration from concepts such as psychology, the unconscious, existence, nature, meaning, and emptiness, he explores the surface possibilities of these concepts among the temporal layers of memory. After completing his undergraduate education in Mechanical Engineering at Uludag University, Diner, who worked for some time in international companies, had the opportunity to collaborate with the painter Irfan Önürmen for three years. Subsequently, in 2007, he received a painting education at the New York Studio School. Continuing his work in Istanbul since 2009, Diner’s recent solo exhibitions include “uncanny states” (2023) and “leave us alone” (2021).