Defne Tesal (1985) lives and works in Istanbul, Turkey
Education
2017 - 2019 MA in Fine Arts, Master Institute of Visual Cultures, AKV St.Joost, Den Bosch, Netherlands
2004 - 2010 BA in Stage and Costume Design, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey
2007 - 2008 Erasmus exchange at Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara, Dept. of Scenography, Italy
Artist residencies
6.10.2019 - 1.12.2019 Kulttuuri Kauppila Art Center - Social Art Residency, Ii, Finland
1.10.2016 - 22.12.2016 Kulttuuri Kauppila Art Center Artist in Residency, Ii, Finland
1.6.2015 - 1.7.2015 SVA Summer Residency, Painting and Mixed Media - New York City, USA
Artist collective
2019 - ongoing DREAM NEWS artist collective and publication initiative with Murat Yıldız
2016 - ongoing HAH artist collective with Ahu Akgün, Gizem Karakaş, Ayça Telgeren, Murat Yıldız
Selected exhibitions
2023 “Böyle Rüyadaymış Gibi” / “Just Like in a Dream” duo exhibition with Ferruh Başağa, curated by Derya Yücel, Nazım Hikmet Kültür Evi, Nilüfer / Bursa, Turkey
2022 “Ben Kimse. Sen de mi Kimsesin?” / “I Am Nobody. Are You Nobody Too?” group exhibition curated by Selen Ansen, MEŞHER, Istanbul, Turkey
2022 “Koyun Koyuna” / “Rounded by Sleep” group exhibition curated by Eda Berkmen, ARTER Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
2022 “Pilevneli Yalıkavak” group exhibition, Yalıkavak, Bodrum, Turkey
2021 “Tereddüt” / “Hesitation” solo exhibition, PILEVNELI Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2021 “Pilevneli X König” group exhibition, Kaplankaya, Bodrum, Turkey
2021 “Atış Serbest - MECMU” group exhibition, Barın Han, Istanbul, Turkey
2020 Mor Çatı Women's Shelter Foundation, Art solidarity online group exhibition, Turkey
2019 “Jong Talent” group exhibition, Den Bosch, Netherlands
2019 “Post Compost” graduation exhibition, Master Institute of Visual Cultures, AKV St.Joost, Den Bosch, Netherlands
2019 16. Istanbul Biennial, Public program – participation as HAH collective
2019 "Atış Serbest 5" group exhibition, Tophane-i Amire, Istanbul, Turkey
2018 "Moment of Trust" group exhibition. Project of Tenthaus Artist Collective (Oslo) Club Solo, Breda, The Netherlands
2018 "What Do We Dance For?", group exhibition at Gallery Nectar, Tbilisi, Georgia
2018 “There is another possibility: about open space and artist collectives” exhibition at Kasa Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey, participated as HAH collective
2018 “Sketch State” group exhibition at Gallery 5, Istanbul, Turkey
2017 “Maybe, we will benefit from our neighbour’s good fortune” exhibition curated by Işıl Eğrikavuk at Halka Art Project, Istanbul, Turkey, participated as HAH collective
2017 “Vesile” exhibition by HAH collective members together with guest artists Etem Sahin, Selim Birsel and Lara Ogel at HAHmekan, Istanbul, Turkey
2016 “Interval”, Gallery Zilberman, Solo exhibition at Project Space, Istanbul, Turkey
2016 “Keeping The Trace” Duo exhibition with Murat Yıldız, KulttuuriKauppila Art Center, Finland
2016 “Collective Memory (the past and future is ours)” group exhibition curated by Anna Bauer and Benjamin Lee Sperry, New York City, USA and Glasgow, Scotland
2016 Istanbul Rotary Art Competition – finalists group exhibition, curated by Başak Şenova at Elgiz Museum, Istanbul, Turkey
2015 “Cocoon”, Gallery-5, Solo exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey
2015 SVA Summer Residency Open Studio Exhibition, New York City, USA
2014 “Interception”, International Textile Artists Group Exhibition, Gallery 5, Istanbul, Turkey
Scholarships
2017 Holland Scholarship, Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, The Netherlands
2015 Moon and Starts Scholarship for SVA Summer Residency Program from American Turkish Society, New York City, USA
2007 Erasmus Scholarship for bachelor in scenography education in Academia di Belle Arti di Carrara, Italy
Awards
2016 Istanbul Rotary Art Competition Award, Jury: Ayşe Umur, Başak Şenova, Can Elgiz, Gülsün Karamustafa, Işın Önol, Özalp Birol and Şerif Kaynar
2012 Ifsak Short Film Festival, Best Animation Award
2010 Yıldız Short Film Festival, Digital Film Academy Award
Workshops given
2023. “Tunnels of Sleep / Scale model making workshop’’ workshop for adults, Nazım Hikmet Kültür Evi, Nilüfer Munincipality, Bursa, Turkey
2022 “Tunnels of Sleep / Scale model making workshop’’ workshop for adults, ARTER Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
2019 “1h 34’ 07’’ workshop for fine arts bachelor students of St. Joost Art Academy. In collaboration with Ying Liu and Murat Yıldız.
Master Institute of Visual Cultures, AKV St.Joost, Den Bosch, Netherlands
2018 "Absolute Rhythm, Indefinite Repetition" workshop for fine arts bachelor students of St. Joost Art Academy. In collaboration with Nicola Kirkaldy.
Master Institute of Visual Cultures, AKV St.Joost, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
2016 “Random Creation Project” workshop for high school students of Ii Upper Secondary School, International Art Course program. In collaboration with Murat Yıldız.
Ii, Finland
Selected performances and projects
2019-ongoing “Dream News” publication series, in collaboration with Murat Yıldız. https://www.instagram.com/dream.news/?hl=en
2021 “Supposition” / “Sanı” video performance, in collaboration with Ahu Akgün
2018 “Hah Hikaye” interactive online story writing project continuing on https://www.instagram.com/hahhikaye/?hl=enwww.instagram.com/hahhikaye/
2018 “Momentum” performance, in collaboration with Ying Liu. Master Institute of Visual Cultures, AKV St. Joost, Den Bosch, NL
2018 "Meeting" interactive installation/exhibition. Master Institute of Visual Cultures, AKV St. Joost, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
2018-9 “Admit One” series of collaborative projects with Alireza Abbasy, Elena Chemerska, Annemée Dik, Raffaella Huizinga, Donglai Meng, Simon Oosterhuis, Dorien Scheltens, Angela Vidić, Murat Yıldız.
2018 “Transition” video screening program / Eye Research Lab, Eye Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2018 "HAHcalendar" project, in collaboration with HAH members and artists Sena Başöz, Lara Ogel, Romina Meriç, Sevgi Aka, Uzay Kere, Beste Topuz, Onur Ceritoğlu. Published by Art Unlimited, Istanbul, Turkey
2017 “HAHasks” recording performance as part of MÇPS recording studio created by Can Altay and Saz Arkadaslari, produced by Amira Arzik at 5533, Istanbul, Turkey, participated as HAH
2017 “We Remember, after Joe Brainard and Georges Perec” performance by Gizem Karakaş together with HAH collective, at HAHmekan, Istanbul, Turkey
2017 Performer in “Transcending the Senses”, a performance by Dila Yumurtaci, participating in Self-service Art Performance Days and Mamut Art Project, Istanbul, Turkey
2011 “Hain Kurt” (Traitor Wolf), a short stop-motion animation film, 13’52’’, in collaboration with Murat Yıldız, Istanbul, Turkey. Screenings at Ifsak 32. Film Festival, National Short Film and Documentary Competition, Experimental Category, Finalist (2012), Akbank 8. Short Film Festival, Short Animation Category (2012), Malatya 2. International Film Festival, National Short Film Competition, Finalist (2011), International 48. Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Special Screening (2011), Istanbul 7. Animation Festival, Short Film Competition, Finalist (2011)
2010 “Bir Masal” (A Tale), a short stop-motion animation film, 4’31’’, Istanbul, Turkey
Screenings at If İstanbul 10. International Independent Film Festival (2011), National 1.Smyrna Short Film Festival, Finalist (2010), Yıldız 7. Short Film Festival, Animation Category, Finalist (2010), Flying Broom 13. International Film Festival, Wonderland Category (2010), Istanbul 6. Animation Festival, Competition (2010)
Publications
2021 “Dream News / Muğlak / Ambiguous” issue 4, Turkey. Published by Vision Art Platform. In collaboration with Murat Yıldız
2021 “Tereddüt / Hesitation” Artist book. Published by PILEVNELI
2021 “Dream News - Zincirler / Chains” issue 3, Turkey, self published. In collaboration with Murat Yıldız
2020 “words 2016”, “words 2017”, “words 2018”, “words 2019”, artist book series, self-publication
2020 “Dream News / Hayal Gazetesı” issue 2, Turkey, self published. In collaboration with Murat Yıldız
2019 “Dream News / Unelma Uutiset” issue 1, Finland, published by Lähde! In collaboration with Murat Yıldız
2019 "Distractions turning into Landscapes", self-publication
2018 “Essay on time Flow”, “Words from 2016”, artist book, self-publication
2018 HAHcalendar, calendar publication of HAH collective, Art Unlimited publication
2017 HAH “Vesile” exhibition catalogue, HAH publication