Beril Ateş’s exhibition “Something’s Missing in My Joy,” which questions the representation of collective pain and emotions, is on view at Galeri Siyah Beyaz in Ankara from May 16 to June 14.
In this exhibition, Beril Ateş focuses on the fragmentation of emotions on both personal and societal levels. While questioning whether unity is possible — whether the pieces can find each other or fall apart entirely — the artist searches for a new form of existence.
Named after the often overused and hollowed-out concept of “joy,” the exhibition critiques the tendency to associate everything colorful with happiness, arguing that this oversimplifies deeper feelings.,
Beyond Color
Ateş’s works go beyond surface-level expression, offering emotional depth through the interpretation of figures and composition. By challenging the habit of assigning colors to emotions, the artist asks whether joy can be redefined in a society shaped by lovelessness.
Addressing how we relate to collective suffering, Ateş uses metaphor to explore issues such as femicide, child abuse, environmental destruction, and the restriction of freedom of thought. The exhibition poses thought-provoking questions to visitors:
“Can we build a new humanity from what we’ve destroyed?”
“Is an evolution stripped of emotion really progress?”
Exhibition Details
• Dates: May 16 – June 14
• Venue: Galeri Siyah Beyaz, Ankara
• Admission: Free entry
