At room temperature

Description

The woman in the photo is Aydan Murtezaoglu. Standing with her back to the audience, she looks over the city of Istanbul and smokes a cigarette. The window is open, and the viewer can see smoke emerging from the city’s many chimneys. This is not a self-portrait, but rather an image she wants to share with us. Interpretation depends on the spectator’s social and cultural background, available information, and questions. What does the image of a smoking woman at an open window in winter say? And does the fact that Istanbul is a largely Islamic city, contributes to our interpretation of the image, or does it confirm our prejudices?

Does this page contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.