Atıf Akın

Atıf Akın is an artist based in New York, USA, and Professor of Art & Design at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. His work explores science, nature, spatio-temporality, mobility and politics as these relate to contemporary phenomena, including migration, radiation, surveillance, hyperpresence and genetic mutations. Integrating technology as both subject and means of expression, Akın explores issues that are considered sensitive in the public discourse, unlocking them from the rigid political categories in which they reside.His selected solo exhibitions include Signals at Pilot Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey (2024), Tepoto Sud morph Moruroa, BASE Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey (2019); Apricots from the Damascus Room, SALT, Istanbul (2016) and University of Texas at Dallas, Texas, USA (2020); Mutant Space, SUNY Binghamton, New York, USA (2020). His recent selected group exhibitions feature MANA contemporary (2025), Istanbul Modern (2024) and Istanbul Biennial 2022, Unspoken Dialogues, Galeria Millenium BCP, Lisbon, Portugal (2016); 5th Istanbul Design Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey (2016); Tidalectics, TBA 21, Vienna, Austria (2017); The Oceanic, Centre for Contemporary Art, Singapore (2017) and Oceans, Le Fresnoy, Tourcoing, France (2018). Akın studied science and design at a public university in Türkiye, Middle East Technical University in Ankara, and worked in Istanbul as an artist and educator before moving to New York in 2011.