Olgaç (b. 1987, Turkey) is a visual artist based in Berlin.
His upbringing in Konya during his developmental years largely informs his work today, as an exploration of cultural identity has become a recurring theme in his visual language.
Since 2014 Olgaç has traveled to over 50 countries, largely throughout Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, and Latin Ameri to challenge the hegemonic Western notions of beauty and personal individuality. He often explores the world of his subjects by frequently shooting them in their personal environments. His educational background in Theatre shaped his improvisational staged-documentary approach.
Olgaç was named part of Foam’s 2022 Talent; in 2019 he was featured in the British Journal of Photography's "Ones to Watch" photographers, stating “Bozalp has been at the forefront of a movement to diversify visual culture, introducing new ideas about gender, beauty and race.”; and featured in Aperture’s 2017 "Element of Style" issue, which investigates the role of style, dress, and beauty in the formation of individual identity."
As of 2023 he had two solo exhibitions at Foam Museum and participated in several group exhibitions at institutions including the National Portrait Gallery London, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Aperture Gallery, Sharjah Art Foundation, Arles and Odunpazari Modern Museum.
His work has also been published by M Le Monde, A Magazine Curated by, Dazed, Atmos, T Magazine and he has worked with clients Balenciaga, Hérmes, Carven, Hugo Boss, H&M, Alexander McQueen, Camper, GmbH, Dilara Fındıkoğlu and Zegna.
MUSEUM COLLECTION
2021 Dayılar, Odun Pazarı Modern Museum, Eskişehir
2020 Sisterhood, Adana Boys and Hashem, Hoor Al Qasimi Collection, Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE
2020 Iranian Family, Winterthur Foto Museum, Switzerland
BOOKS
2023 Ji, Self Published, Commissioned by Sankuanz, November 2023
2022 Leaving One for Another, Published by Void, November 2022
2022 Buddha Was Born Here, Self Published, June 2022
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Dad On His Search For Hüseyin, Foam Museum, Amsterdam
2023 Arada, Verwey Museum, Harleem
2023 Leaving One For Another, Galerie-Kernweine, Stuttgart
2023 Leaving One For Another, 1014 Gallery, London
2022 Buddha Was Born Here, Sheriff Gallery, Paris
2017 Borders, À La Galerie Duboys, Paris
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
2024 Leaving One For Another, Réseau Lux, Paris, FR
2024 Leaving One For Another, Radar Festival, Trani, IT
2024 Leaving One For Another, Les Rencontres d’Arles, Night Of The Year, FR
2024 Leaving One For Another, Mesnographies, Les Mesnuls, FR
2023 Leaving One For Another, Larnaca Biennale, Cyprus
2023 Dad On His Search For Hüseyin & Arada, Jipfest, Jakarta
2023 Leaving One For Another, Future Perfect, Fotodoks, Munich
2023 Dear Earth, Atmos, Hayward Gallery, London
2023 Leaving One For Another, Lucid Borders, Art Exchange, Essex, UK
2023 Leaving One For Another, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Frankfurt
2022 Foam Talents, Leaving One For Another, Foam Museum, Amsterdam
2021 Foto Tallinn Curated by Isabella Van Marle, Estonia
2021 Don’t Look Back, Deep is the Past, Odun Pazarı Modern Museum, Eskişehir
2021 21, Galerie Sebastien Lepeuve, Paris
2020 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, London
2019 Vantage Point Sharjah 7, Sharjah Art Foundation, Al Mureijah Square Gallery, UAE
2019 Aperture Photographs, Aperture Foundation, New York
2018 All That Man Is, Photo Vogue Festival - Curated by Alessia Glaviano, Milan
2018 212 Photography Festival, Leica Gallery, Istanbul
2017 No Lab, Haskoy Yun Iplik Fabrikasi, Istanbul
ARTIST COLLABORATION
2023 Wild Memory Radio by WePresent, 30 leading cultural figures share the places
2023 Middle East Archive, Deck of Cards x Olgaç Bozalp
2023 Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Antwerp
PRINT INSTALLATIONS
2021 Broadway Market, London
2021 Galata, Istanbul
2021 Westwood, Los Angeles
2021 Ost Hafen, Berlin
SELECTED PRINT SALES
2023 Foam Editions
2020 Magnum x Aperature, Work of Imagination, Square Print Sale
2017 Aperature, Elements of Style, Limited-Edition Print Series
TALKS
2023 Leaving One For Another, Fotodoks, Munich
2023 Foam Museum, Q&A with Educational Department
2023 Foam Museum, Q&A by Kim Knoppers
2023 Bath Spa University, Q&A with Olgaç Bozalp
2021 World Hope Forum by Lidewij Edelkoort and Philip Fimmano
2020 The Photographer’s Gallery, Slow Looking, London
2020 The Photographer’s Gallery, Develop: Creative Careers Through Photography
SELECTED PRINT PRESS
2024 Spark Journal, Completely Erase Your Portfolio and Buy a One-Way Ticket with Olgaç Bozalp
2023 Monopol Magazin, Fortgehen
2023 Leica Fotografie International, Leaving One For Another
2023 Financial Times, Gallery, Photographs by Olgaç Bozalp
2022 Wallpaper*, Four Emerging Image Makers
2022 Guardian, Big Picture, Leaving One for Another
2022 Foam Magazine, Leaving One for Another
2020 WePresent Magazine, Dad Interview
2019 British Journal of Photography, Ones To Watch 2019
2018 Printed Pages, The It’s Nice That Magazine, Zennes
2017 Aperture, Elements of Style Issue
SELECTED DIGITAL PRESS
2023 Foam, A Closer Look at the Work of Olgaç Bozalp
2023 Vice, Photos of the Pain and Beauty
2023 Wallpaper*, Olgaç Bozalp’s journey through forced migration
2023 Another Magazine, Thoughtful Meditation on Migration
2022 Museé, Olgaç Bozalp’s Leaving One For Another
2022 Aesthetica, Global Movement
2022 I-D, Olgaç Bozalp's photographs about migration blur fact & fiction
2022 Guardian, From one place to another: images of migration
2022 Fisheye, Leaving One For Another
2022 Wallpaper*, The best photography books to adorn your coffee table
2022 Another Magazine, This Zine Captures the Abundant Beauty of Nepal
2020 WePresent, I was seeing my dad in a new light
2020 Aperture, 12 Photographers on How to Survive the Lockdown
2019 The New Yorker, New Yorker Photo Takeover
2018 Vogue Italia, Photo Vogue Festival
2018 I-D, 5 Photographers Reimagining Masculinity
2018 It's Nice That, Family Photo Albums
2017 Self Publish Be Happy, SPBH Ten Questions
2017 It's Nice That, Male Belly Dancers
2017 It's Nice That, On The Difficulties of Shooting Fashion in Iran
2017 Independent, A Glimpse into Iran’s Underground Fashion and Style
2016 It's Nice That, Challenging Traditional Ideas of Male Beauty
BOOKS
2023 Ji, Self Published, Commissioned by Sankuanz, November 2023
2023 Dad On His Search For Hüseyin, Foam Museum, Amsterdam
2023 Arada, Verwey Museum, Harleem
2023 Leaving One For Another, Galerie-Kernweine, Stuttgart
2023 Leaving One For Another, Future Perfect, Fotodoks, Munich
2023 Dear Earth, Atmos, Hayward Gallery, London
2023 Wild Memory Radio by WePresent, 30 leading cultural figures share the places
2023 Middle East Archive, Deck of Cards x Olgaç Bozalp
2023 Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Antwerp
PRINT INSTALLATIONS
2021 Broadway Market, London
2021 Galata, Istanbul
2021 Westwood, Los Angeles
2021 Ost Hafen, Berlin
2021 Broadway Market, London
2021 Galata, Istanbul
2021 Westwood, Los Angeles
2021 Ost Hafen, Berlin
SELECTED PRINT SALES
2023 Foam Editions
2020 Magnum x Aperature, Work of Imagination, Square Print Sale
2017 Aperature, Elements of Style, Limited-Edition Print Series
2023 Foam Editions
2020 Magnum x Aperature, Work of Imagination, Square Print Sale
2017 Aperature, Elements of Style, Limited-Edition Print Series