SENER OZMEN

1971, Hezex, / Şirnex (Kurdistan)

Sener Ozmen is a new media artist, writer, editor and translator living in Wilmette, Illinois, US. He was an both actor of dissident contemporary art practices that developed in Istanbul after the 1990s, and in Diyarbakir in 2000s, the city where he lived and produced, and he was one of the art writers who wrote this development through period exhibitions and artists (especially Kurdish artists). His articles on Kurdish identity, nationalism, militarism, sexism, production of art and literature in war and conflict zones, migration and post-migration trauma problems in his unique language have been published in art magazines and newspapers, and he has published two books on these subjects, as well as catalog texts. Ozmen's short films and video works have been shown in the world's most respected contemporary art museums and group exhibitions. In 2016, he was a judge at the Love & Change Film Competition at if Istanbul (If Istanbul International Independent Film Festival) together with documentary director and screenwriter Adam Curtis (UK) and documentary producer Philippa Kowarsky (Israel). Ozmen won the Prix Meuly (Hoch Hinaus, Kunstmuseum Thun, Switzerland) in 2005 and curated many exhibitions and performed solo exhibitions. 

He participated in art and writing scholarships of Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa Abteilung Kultur in 2018-2019 (Berlin, Germany), Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, EFA Studio Program (NY, USA) in 2017 2018, ISCP (International Studio & Curatorial Program) in 2017, Artist Protection Fund Fellow (NY, USA), Institute of International Education-Artist Protection Fund, Montclair State University Art and Design Department, (New Jersey, USA) in 2017-2018, Q21 Museum Quartier Artist in Residency (Vienna, Austria) in 2016, Der nahe Blick / The Close View in 2008: Turkish-German City Writers Project 2008, Goethe Institut Istanbul, Literaturhaus München, Arte (München, Germany) and 2005 Transfer Turkey- NRW, Exchange and exhibition of artists from Turkey and North Rhine-Westphalia (Muenster, Germany). Ozmen's novels and stories written in the Kurmanji dialectic of Kurdish, an endangered language, were highly appreciated by Kurdish readers. He is one of the authors and participating artists of the Luciano Benetton Collection’s Imago Mundi project called In-Between Worlds Kurdish Contemporary Artist catalog, which was published in 4 languages as part of the Imago Mundi project. Ozmen participated in the contemporary art exhibition that featured Kurdish artists titled “Bêwelat-Unexpected Storytellers, (2021)” at nGbK (neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst, Berlin).  

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

2008 Some of the words which, till now, were mysteriously prohibited to me. Cengiz Tekin, Berat Isik, Sener Ozmen. Curator and exhibition concept by Sener Ozmen, Sextant et plus La Friche Belle de Mai, Marseille, France

2008 So-called Portrait of the artist: Cengiz Tekin, Curated by: Sener Ozmen, Diyarbakir Art Centre, Diyarbakir

2008 Zero Visibility, exhibition concept by Sener Ozmen. Curatorial Team: Sener Ozmen (Diyarbakir, TR), Zehra Sonya (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), Nicholas Panayi (Cyprus), Diyarbakir Art Center, Diyarbakir

2004 The Force Of Language - II: Becoming Minor, Curated by: Ali Akay, Co-Curator: Sener Ozmen, Keci Burcu, Diyarbakir

2003 Eye Contact, curator and exhibition Concept: Sener Ozmen, Diyarbakir Art Centre, Diyarbakir

2001 Art and the City, Curator and exhibition Concept Sener Ozmen. The first contemporary art exhibition in Diyarbakir 

PUBLICATIONS

POETRY BOOKS

2004 Sözüm Haritadan Dışarı (Saving Your Map), Sener Ozmen, Language: Turkish, ISBN: ISBN 9789756179000, 64 page, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir, Turkey

1999 Eskiden Ne Güzeldi (Once How Beautiful It Was), Sener Ozmen, Language: Turkish, Liman Editions, Istanbul, Turkey

1999 Şaşıracaksın (You Will Be Amazed), Sener Ozmen, Language: Turkish, Liman Editions, Istanbul, Turkey

1999 Ağıt mı bu yaktığın? (Is That a Dirge You Sing?), Sener Ozmen, Language: Turkish, Liman Editions, Istanbul, Turkey

NOVELS – SHORT STORIES

2022 Kurê dêlê (Son of a bitch), Sener Ozmen, Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), short stories, 64 page, Avesta Publications, Istanbul, Turkey. ISBN: 978-625-8283-02-7 

2020 Cemîlê Nîgarkêş û Heft Qambihostên Dewletê, (Painter Cemil and the Seven Dwarfs of the State), Sener Ozmen, Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), short stories, 160 page, Avesta Publications, Istanbul, Turkey. ISBN: 978-605-2246-95-5 

2017 Kale (The Castle), Sener Ozmen, Translated into Turkish by Selamî Esen, Editor: Mehmed Said Aydin, 160 page, Everest Editions, Istanbul, Turkey. ISBN: 9786051851082

2017  Xeyb (The Unseen), Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), Sener Ozmen, ISBN: 9786059295666, 364 page, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir

2016 Rojnivîska Spinoza (The Diary of Spinoza), Sener Ozmen, Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), 199 page, Second Edition, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir, ISBN:978-605-9295-15-4

2015 Kifayetsiz Hikâyeler Müsabakası (The Bout of the Incompetent Stories), Sener Ozmen, Translated into Turkish by Abdullah Kocal, Editor: Mehmed Said Aydin, 180 page, Everest Editions, Istanbul, Turkey ISBN: 9786051419558

2015  Gramera Bêhizûr (The Restless Grammar), Sener Ozmen, Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), Second Edition, 216 page, Lîs Editions, ISBN: 9786059014113

2014 Spinoza’nın Günlüğü (The Diary of Spinoza), Sener Ozmen, Translated into Turkish by Abdullah Kocal, Editor: Mehmed Said Aydin,190 page, Everest Editions, Istanbul, Turkey ISBN: 9786051417936

2014 Gramera Bêhizûr (The Restless Grammar), Sener Ozmen, Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), First Edition, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir

2012 Keleh (The Castle), Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), Sener Ozmen, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir, ISBN: 9786056211256

2010 Pêşbaziya Çîrokên Neqediyayî (The Bout of the Incompetent Stories), Sener Ozmen, Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir, ISBN: 9786055683122

2008 Rojnivîska Spinoza (The Diary of Spinoza), Sener Ozmen, Language: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), First Edition, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir, ISBN: 9786059295154

CRITICAL BOOKS

2017 Sevişen Kurgular (Love Making Reflections), Sener Ozmen, Readings on The Contemporary Art, Language: Turkish, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir

2017 Travma ve Islahat (Trauma and Restructure), Sener Ozmen, Readings on The Contemporary Art, Language: Turkish, Lîs Editions (Second Edition), Diyarbakir

2013 Uykusu Bölünenler (The Ones Whose Sleep Was Disrupted), Sener Ozmen, Readings on The Modern Kurdish Literature, Language: Turkish, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir

2007 Travma ve Islahat (Trauma and Restructure), Sener Ozmen, Readings on The Contemporary Art, Language: Turkish, First Edition, Lîs Editions, Diyarbakir

ARTIST BOOKS

2011 The Story Of Tracey Emin (An imaginary kidnapping of Tracey Emin with adult content. Following the Sener Özmen exhibition at Künstlerhaus, curated by Adnan Yildiz and Edition Taube, the original book from 2000, is now reprinted in a new limited edition), Edition Taube, Germany

2005 Istanbul Guide / Istanbul with All Its Conventional Destructions, Sener Ozmen, 176 page, colored. 9th Istanbul Biennial, Curated by Vasif Kortun & Charles Esche, Graphic Design: Murat Tosyalı Translations: Didem Kizen, Imge Ozcan, Su Başbugu. Contributors to Proofreading: Alexandra Mc Glip, Kemal Bosnak, Hazal Tulgar, Almila Akdag Salah, Printing: Ofset Yapımevi, ISBN: 975-7383-42-1, Istanbul, Turkey

2004 Blood Sweeter Than Honey, Comics, 24 page, B&W (with Ahmet Ogut), Courtesy of the artists

2004  Coloring Book (A Contemporary Art Project) Coloring Book, 16 page, B&W (with Ahmet Ogut), Courtesy of the artists

2001 The Murders of Manifesta, photo novel, B&W, 84 page, Special Collection, Istanbul, Turkey