C. M. Kosemen
Artist and Researcher
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A collection of calling cards
Until the mid-2010s, illegal sex workers in the Turkish capital city of Ankara advertised their profession with small, gaudily-illustrated cards that were strewn about on sidewalks. I saw unintentionally-preserved hints of candour and pathos in the prostitutes' grainy, "true-to-life" portraits; and collecting them quickly became one of my questionable hobbies.
The spread of the internet and government crackdown later led to the extinction of these cards.
In 2022, I donated this entire collection to Duke University's Rubenstein Library.
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Contact c.m.kosemen@gmail.com for inquiries.
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