Origins and Identities. VOLKAN DIYAROGLU

The project we present at IC 2024 articulates the work of two galleries: José de la Mano, whose focus is on recovering the memory of those artists who, with radical proposals, challenged the limits of the art scene; and the Jorge López gallery, which is committed to young Spanish and Latin American creators, foregrounding the perspective of the migrant as a link between their country of origin and their destination.

These two personal initiatives, now in collaboration, converge in an effort to expand borders and vindicate the work of
international artists, addressing themes such as migration, borders and mobility, as well as memory, recognition and the
search for new horizons within global contemporary art.

Volkan Diyaroglu (1982), represented by the gallery Jorge López, and Joseph Terdjan (1924-2001), represented by José
de la Mano, both of Turkish origin, emigrated from their native countries to internationalise their work and form part of a
global scene.

The former, still young, and his predecessor, now deceased, have rediscovered and re-evaluated their identities in this
process. Travel, beyond mere physical displacement, becomes an introspective act that expands awareness and personal
knowledge, allowing a renewed look at one’s origins, enriching one’s sense of belonging and understanding of oneself. It
is a rediscovery and re-evaluation of one’s roots, in which not only internal perceptions are understood, but also how we
are seen from the outside.