Universe of Possibilities

Merve Turan’s exhibition Universe of Possibilities at Labirent Sanat from April 4 to May 9 2026 blends Le Guin’s Carrier Bag Theory with aquarium metaphors to explore life’s fragile fragments and depth.

Labirent Sanat presents artist Merve Turan’s solo exhibition, "Universe of Possibilities", bringing together her recent paintings to meet the audience from April 4 to May 9, 2026. The exhibition invites viewers to rethink the concepts of possibility, remembrance, and transformation through the metaphors of water, depth, and carrying. "Universe of Possibilities" establishes a kinship between Ursula K. Le Guin’s "Carrier Bag Theory," which offers a radical proposition regarding the origins of human narrative, and the aquarium metaphor that has become prominent in Merve Turan’s artistic practice. According to Le Guin, humanity’s first cultural tool was not a weapon; it was a carrier bag that brought together seeds, roots, and stories, carrying life itself. Turan’s aquarium similarly rejects a linear and hero-centric narrative. As an environment we swim in but often fail to notice, the aquarium reminds us that life is constructed not through grand narratives, but through small, plural, and fragile fragments. Instead of pointing to a single truth, the exhibition makes visible the possibilities that exist at different depths within the same water. Here, courage is not about reaching a peak, but about daring to descend into the depths. The stones and sand at the bottom of the aquarium are treated like objects accumulated within a carrier bag. When settled thoughts and untouched layers are disturbed, the water becomes cloudy; the contents of the bag are stirred. It is precisely from within this movement that new stories are born. Healing, then, means taking responsibility for moving the stones and establishing a softer contact with the past, rather than achieving a victory. The recurring forms in Turan’s works appear as objects and personal protectors the artist has accumulated in her bag throughout her life. These forms propose reading the story not through conquest, but through the continuity of life. In this universe, time is not linear; past, present, and future are carried in the same flow, touching one another like pieces resting side by side in the bag. The joy and colorful texture on the surface of the works in the exhibition do not deny the cloudiness in the depths. Just as the chaos within the bag makes life possible, the movement at the bottom of the aquarium reflects on the surface as a vibration. Rather than a hero's journey, "Universe of Possibilities" presents a poetic expression of moving forward with the burdens we carry, learning to live with uncertainty, and allowing possibilities to remain open. Merve Turan’s "Universe of Possibilities" exhibition can be visited at Labirent Sanat until May 9, 2026.

What to expect:
Painting