Selma Gültoprak

vita

*1983 in Gummersbach / Germany

Lives and works in Cologne and abroad.

2012 Diploma at Stefanie Stallschus, Phil Collins, Johannes Wohnseifer / Germany

2007-2012 Undergraduate level, Academy of Media Arts (KHM), Cologne / Germany

2005-2007 Assistant in design-technology, Richard-Riemerschmidt college, Cologne / Germany 

Awards & Scholarships

2025 Artist Residency at SuperOtium, Naples, Italy

2024 Research grant for visual arts from the City of Cologne / Germany

2023 Special funding program 2023, Stiftung Kunstfonds / Germany

2022 Grant and artist residency `Studio Galata`, Kunststiftung NRW, Istanbul / Turkey

2022 Special fund of the Kunststiftung NRW / Germany

2021 Alternate in Category Fine Arts, The MAK Schindler Scholarship Program at the Mackey Apartments, Los Angeles / MAK Artists and Architects-in-Residence Program

2020 Special funding program 20/21, Stiftung Kunstfonds / Germany

2020 Special fund of the Kunststiftung NRW / Germany

2020 Research grant for visual arts from the City of Cologne / Germany

2018 Friedrich-Vordemberge grant for fine arts, Cologne / Germany

2018 National one-year working bursary, Stiftung Kunstfonds / Germany

2018 Art in architecture competition KUKODUS (Kunstkommission Düsseldorf) / Germany

2018 Publication grant for the catalogue St.Open, Kunststiftung NRW / Germany 

2018 Studio Grant, Salzamt Linz, Die KUNSTSAMMLUNG of the Province of Upper Austria 

2017 Grant and artist residency `Studio Galata`, Culture Office of the City Cologne, Istanbul / Turkey

2016 Project-Grant for St.Open in 2017, Culture Office of the City Cologne / Germany

2016 Project-Grant for St.Open in 2017, SK Stiftung Kultur/ Germany

2016 Working bursary abroad for China, Kunststiftung NRW / Germany / China

2016 Artist residency, Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai / China

2015-2017 Studio Grant, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne / Germany

2015 Artist in residence, Künstlerdorf Schöppingen foundation / Germany

2014 Zonta Cologne Art Award / Germany

2014 Artist in residence, Künstlerdorf Schöppingen foundation / Germany

2013 Advancement Award for Female Artists from the Academy of Media Arts / Germany

UPCOMING and CURRENT

2025 FBZ art award 2025, FBZ — Research and Treatment Center for Mental Health, Bochum/ Germany

2025 DO WORRY BE HAPPY, Kunsthalle Barmen, Wuppertal/ Germany

2025 Verwandlung als Aufgabe, Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen, Gelsenkirchen/ Germany

2025 Little Love Monument, Super Otium, Naples/ Italy

Exhibitions, Performances & Projects (selection)

2025 10, Galerie Martinetz Jubilee, Cologne/ Germany

2025 Little Love Monument, Super Otium, Naples/ Italy Solo

2024 FORÊT [SCEPTIQUE], at the bavarian forest/ Germany

2024 porous repair , Petershof, Cologne / Germany

2024 Die Verhältnisse zum Tanzen bringen/ 50 Jahre Kemnade International, Kunstmuseum Bochum / Germany

2024 Säulen, Rinde am Rhein, Düsseldorf / Germany

2023 Öpücük (Der Kuss), IDYLL, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2023 Kunst am Bau. Perspektiven aus NRW., Baukultur NRW at Architektenkammer.NRW, Düsseldorf / Germany

2023 Eine Tankfüllung entfernt…, Alte Tankstelle Deutz, Cologne / Germany

2023 Skulpturengarten 2023: playground & nature, Kunsthaus NRW Kornelimünster, Aachen / Germany

2022-2023 Terminal, Terminal, Kunst-Station Sankt Peter Köln, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2022 CHAMBERS, FLⒶT$, Brussels/ Belgium

2022 Strike a Pose, K21, Düsseldorf / Germany

2022 a-book-a-buy, Shopkeepers: Frohnapfel, Lorenz, Peschel, kjubh, Cologne / Germany

2022 Kunst und Bau, Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen / Germany

2021 Jahresgaben 2021, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne / Germany

2021 NAK benefit auktion, Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen / Germany

2021 and their eyes became sharper, MARTINETZ Gallery, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2021 Earth Is Blue, part 3 of 3, art in architecture KUKODUS, realisation at the Goethe-Gymnasium Düsseldorf / Germany, Solo

2021 vom spiel der körper im licht – Ein Skulpturenpark für das Kunsthaus, Kunsthaus NRW Kornelimünster, Aachen / Germany

2020 All the extinct fires, NAK/ Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen / Germany

2020 Earth Is Blue, part 1&2 of 3, art in architecture KUKODUS, realisation at the Goethe-Gymnasium Düsseldorf / Germany, Solo

2020 Draft exhibition for art in architecture for Federal Ministry Mauerstraße 27/29, Berlin / Germany

2019 `Let`s not..`, MARTINETZ Gallery, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2018 EVERYTHING AND THE OPPOSITE, TOO., artothek, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2018 Like a museum, Kunsthaus NRW (North Rhine Westphalia) Kornelimünster, Aachen / Germany

2017 Jahresgaben 2017, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne / Germany

2017 Aware of Another, Matjö BBK, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2017 30 Years of Federal Garden Exhibition Düsseldorf / Germany

2017 Awakening in Istanbul, Werft 5, Kunsthaus Rhenania, Cologne / Germany

2017 St.Open, public art project (bus shelters) in public parks of Cologne / Germany, Solo / Duo

2016 Open Studios, Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai / China

2016 Open Studios, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne / Germany

2016 NAK benefit auktion, Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen / Germany

2016 KINETIC CIRCLE, Antichambre, Düsseldorf / Germany

2015 Under New Management, kjubh, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2015 Skulptur 2015, Museum for Sculpture Glaskasten Marl, Marl / Germany

2015 NAK benefit auktion, Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen / Germany

2015 TomBola 2015, kjubh Kunstverein e.V, Cologne / Germany

2015 Geradeaus und hinten durch, dann links, Freie Künsträume-Art Fair 2015, Cologne / Germany

2015 Nationalpark Harz, Sankt Andreasberg / Germany

2015 kjubh editions, COFA-Contemporary (Cologne Fine Art), Cologne / Germany

2014 NAK benefit auction, Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen / Germany

2014 embodied break I, Jubilee exhibition Künstlerdorf Schöppingen Foundation / Germany

2014 platformed, ZONTA COLOGNE ART AWARD, FUHRWERKSWAAGE Kunstraum, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2014 Unprepared Garden, new talents - biennale, Cologne / Germany

2013 Fünf Minuten oder so., GOLD + BETON, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2013 Futterkrippenbert, Mystique, Kulturanker e.V., Magdeburg / Germany

2012 Muschelbrüder, with Thomas Garvie KARAT, Cologne / Germany, Duo

2012 elevensixtyfour (transformed), with Thomas Garvie, Carlama Exhibition Space, Skenderija, Sarajevo / Bosnia and Herzegovina, Duo

2012 DEAR GARAGE, exhibition-series in garages, degree dissertation at Academy of Media Arts (KHM), www.dear-garage.com, Cologne / Germany, Solo

2011 THEORY ON A BORDER- Old Portrait, KHM annual exhibition, Cologne / Germany

2011 THEORY ON A ROPE I/ II/ III, JUNG ART - Kunstschau, Berlin / Germany

2010 Kein schöner Land. Silent hedges., Art Cologne, ART CAMPUS, Cologne / Germany

2010 THEORY ON A ROPE I/ II/ III, KHM annual exhibition, Cologne / Germany

2010 Gute Tarnung, schnelle Düsen, schlechter Walzer, [returnable] Intervenzioni sul Campo, Sardinia / Italy

2010 THROBBING STREETS- AUTONOME, Ohrenschmaus Festival, Cologne / Germany

2009 Puppetframing, Performance, Tian‘anmen-square,Bejing, 3-canal-loop, KHM Jahresausstellung, Cologne / Germany / China

2009 Daydream@Dunkelzelt, Sound-Installation, Moers Festival, Moers / Germany

2009 compone, Kunst Praxis, KHM/ Hochschule für Musik , Cologne / Germany

Talks

2025 Verwandlung als Aufgabe, Baukultur Nordrhein-Westfalen, Gelsenkirchen/ Germany

2022 Artist Talk: Selma Gültoprak – On-site, lecture series Artistic Practice, invited by Mirjam Thomann, Department of Art and Music

Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne / Germany

2021 Artist Talk: Selma Gültoprak & Melanie Weidemüller, Galerie Martinetz, Cologne / Germany

2020 Temporary Gallery, Cologne / Germany

2020 THE PUBLIC MATTERS, LWL-Museum for art and culture, talk and video, Münster / Germany

2018 Scholl Stiftung Vol. I: Between us - among us, What is art in public space today?, Cologne / Germany

2015 Cologne`s godparents of culture, German Aerospace Center (DLR) Cologne / Germany

2014 ZONTA COLOGNE ART AWARD, artist talk, Fuhrwerkswaage, Cologne / Germany

Public Collections

2023 Art Collection North Rhine-Westphalia

2021 Art Collection North Rhine-Westphalia

2021 artothek – Raum für junge Kunst

2020 City of Cologne Art Possession (Stadtkölnischer Kunstbesitz)

2020 State capital Düsseldorf

2018 Art Collection North Rhine-Westphalia

2016 Swatch Art Peace Hotel Collection

2015 City of Cologne Art Possession (Stadtkölnischer Kunstbesitz)

Teaching

Since 2022 Department of Art and Music, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne / Germany

2021 Peter Behrens School of Arts, Hochschule Düsseldorf / Germany