Ahmet Polat, 2008
After the party, Edirne, 2008
Created by Ahmet Polat in 2008. The artwork is part of the series Kemal's Dream, which was on display at Foam in 2010.
A group of Turkish young people rest on the floor, exhausted and satisfied. After the Party, Edirne, 2008 by Ahmet Polat provides an intimate glimpse of contemporary Turkey through the lens of youth. How do adolescents navigate the various tensions between the traditional life instilled by parents, closely bound up with religious ideology, and the increasing familiarity with the individualistic western lifestyle? As a Dutch national with Turkish roots, Polat is well-positioned to capture the struggle experienced by many of his peers. This awareness triggers further questions about the photograph. What lies behind their pensive gazes? The bond between the young people is visually enhanced by the composition. Each of the subjects rests their head on another, creating a circle in which their thoughts seem to keep going around.
© Ahmet Polat, courtesy of the Foam Collection