Untying the knot

This installation by Hilal Can brings together figures and symbols developed throughout the artist’s long-term practice, offering a condensed view of an evolving personal mythology.

At its center stands a hollow figure carrying a knot in its heart, first introduced in the exhibition Gece Gezenler (Night Wanderers). Emerging from a period marked by reflections on gender roles, visibility, the body, and identity, the figure reappears here in a new context, transformed. Above its head, a cloud has given way to a sun — a subtle but significant shift, read as a symbol of inner change.

Surrounding elements — demon figures, a snake, an apple, a mask, and light-activated objects — evoke transitions between underground and surface worlds, the coexistence of opposites, and an acceptance of emotions without hierarchy. Melancholy is neither glorified nor concealed; it moves through the space as a lived, present feeling.

A shrine-like structure references an area previously known as Rambutan Forest, where the shadow of a red apple extending from a small house suggests ideas of transformation and release. Three small figures by Emanuele Resce, shown in the exhibition In Transformation at the same venue, are integrated into the installation, emphasizing transformation as a relational and shared process rather than an individual one.

Through the use of colored pins, tulle fabrics, and shifting light, the installation reflects an intuitive, ritual-like approach. Conceived to be visible both during the day and at night, the work activates the window as an open, transitional space between interior and exterior.

On view at Secant Space Gallery between January 13 and January 20, 2026.

The artist

Hilal Can (1987, lives and works in Istanbul) approaches art as a tool to respond to various needs of expression by bringing together different disciplines and practices. Her artistic practice is shaped by personal life experiences and inner journeys, focusing on the individual’s search for identity, processes of inner transformation, and her relationship with social dynamics. Drawing inspiration from the internal conflicts encountered in modern identity quests, her work aims to reinterpret personal and collective memory, while also questioning the ways we construct meaning through myths and symbols.

Primarily working in painting, she also explores drawing, ceramics, collage, installation, analog photography, mural work, and writing. Since 2020, she has expanded her practice into experimental music and sound performances.

Her live overhead projector performance Cyclop Visuals combines visual and sonic expression, centering improvisation and the aesthetics of the moment.

© Hilal Can