In “Ben’in Ötesi” (Beyond the Self), Aysun Bolten invites viewers on an interdisciplinary journey that merges art, science, and digital technology. Hosted by Galeri Miz-an Istanbul-based gallery known for supporting both emerging and established artists – this solo exhibition draws on Jacques Lacan’s concepts of subjectivity and otherness, opening an inquiry into the hidden layers of identity through the dialogue between the real, the imaginary, and the symbolic. By integrating medical imaging, microscopic perspectives, and specially developed digital programming into her creative process, Bolten blurs the boundaries between artistic expression and scientific research, offering a strikingly innovative approach. The exhibition is not only a visual and conceptual exploration but also a philosophical inquiry into the nature of essence and selfhood.
At the core of the exhibition are video works and prints that transform biological data into abstract portraits. Bolten collects blood samples from participants Beyond the Self and, under dark-field microscopy, generates unique visual “fingerprints” for each individual. Each portrait becomes a fusion of art and science, revealing patterns invisible to the naked eye. By turning personal biological data into visual poetics, the artist makes the unseen visible – reviving one of art’s oldest purposes in a contemporary form. The works raise profound questions about where identity truly resides: in the mind, in DNA, or in the complex synthesis of both? Bolten’s practice exposes the tension between the abstract and the concrete, drawing conceptual power precisely from this in-between space.
In the exhibition’s second section, Bolten presents an interactive video installation that confronts viewers with simulated reflections of their past and future selves. Standing before the screen, the viewer’s image is scanned by AI – powered cameras and, through custom digital programming, transformed across life stages from childhood to old age. This digital dimension adds real-time interactivity while highlighting programming and video technology as inseparable components of contemporary art. Lacan’s “mirror stage” theory – where the subject recognizes itself through its reflection – provides the philosophical framework here. The installation also incorporates a text inspired by Lacan’s theories of the mirror stage and the Other: “The self is born in the gaze of the Other and disappears there.” This sentence is voiced by 44 participants in Beyond the Self in twenty different languages and tones, guiding the audience through philosophical dimensions of time, transformation, and self-creation. Bolten thus transforms self-awareness into a digital, interactive experience, blending art, information technology, and philosophy. The work recalls that identity is never fixed but always fluid, continuously reconstructed between memory of the past and projections of the future.
Ultimately, Beyond the Self is not merely an artistic undertaking, but an interdisciplinary exploration that bridges the inner and outer, the scientific and the symbolic, the digital and the material. Bolten unites art with medical, technological, and philosophical perspectives, urging us to reconsider what truly defines the “self.” The inclusion of programming and digital elements reveals how our perceptions of identity are shaped, while Lacanian references and medical images emphasize the philosophical depth of the exhibition. In the end, Beyond the Self offers a thought – provoking and original contribution to contemporary art, reminding us how vital interdisciplinary inquiry remains in understanding identity today
