Ahmet Polat
After starting his career in the Netherlands, the Turkish/Dutch photographer Ahmet Polat has been working in Istanbul for some time now. He is working both as a fashion photographer and a documentary photographer. 'Kemal's Dream' (2012) and 'Dark Moon' (2011) are two of his well-known documentary projects in which he attempts to get through to the Turkish soul. Polat is involved in a continual dialogue with himself and others about the context of his work and the surrounding public images in general. His dual cultural background enables him to let both cultures question and confront each other. He asks questions such as: For whom do I make my work? How is this work received in the West? How is it seen in the East? To what extent does the West influence the visual culture in the Middle East? And to what extent does the East meet the expectations of the West and why is it doing this? Polat wants this research to be carried out partly by young photography students from Istanbul and partly by students from Minerva Academy.
www.ahmetpolat.nl/
