The Ghost in the Machine

Esra Özdoğan

Galeri Nev Istanbul, İstiklâl Caddesi Mısır Apt. No: 163 Kat: 4 Daire: 23 Beyoğlu İstanbul

Esra Özdoğan’s solo exhibition, The Ghost in the Machine, curated by Çağla Özbek, invites viewers into a world where the boundaries between life, death, and illusion are constantly shifting. The title, drawn from British philosopher Gilbert Ryle’s concept of the “ghost” inhabiting the “machine” of the body, offers a framework for understanding Özdoğan’s exploration of existence. Through her evocative photographic works, Özdoğan intertwines Western philosophical inquiries with the Turkish concept of yalan dünya (“false world”), framing her pieces as meditations on life’s inherent emptiness and the tension between presence and absence. Alexandra de Cramer