Immersed in a counter-artworld of activists and feminists throughout her youth, Yalter has been exhibited and celebrated within major institutions worldwide. The Nucleo Contemporaneo features two iconic works dealing with the theme of migration. Topak Ev (1973), was made in reference to the tents made by Bektik nomadic community in Central Anatolia, traditionally made by brides-to-be and emblematic of gender roles in such communities. Exile is a Hard Job (1977–2024), named using the words of Turkish poet Nâzim Hikmet, features videos and fly-posters documenting the lives and experiences of immigrants and exiles, with the work’s title painted over them in bold red letters, in the manner of a political slogan.
This is the first time the work of Nil Yalter is presented at Biennale Arte, and she is the recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
—Sofia Gotti and Amanda Carneiro
