Elsewhere

The Body Out of Place

To be here, but barely. Elsewhere follows the body through city shadows—unnoticed, unstilled, unreal.

Elsewhere is a series about dislocation. It shows bodies in spaces where they do not belong or that they no longer remember. Set in the margins of European cities—bridges, alleyways, canals, forgotten corners—these photographs place the nude figure not in nature or an interior but in a third space: public yet abandoned, familiar yet strange.

For nearly two decades, Burak Bulut Yıldırım has photographed nude figures in urban environments. The work explores the uncanny presence of the body in spaces designed for commerce, transit, and anonymity. The nude figure appears as an interruption, a presence that the city neither acknowledges nor expels. These are not protests or performances but quiet apparitions—bodies that simply exist where they are not expected.

The work recalls Francesca Woodman’s explorations of abandoned interiors, where the body dissolves into architecture. But where Woodman turned inward, Elsewhere turns outward—into the city, into public space. Giorgio de Chirico’s metaphysical piazzas offer another resonance: those empty arcades and elongated shadows where figures appear diminished, out of scale, visitors in their own surroundings. Yıldırım’s photographs carry a similar disquiet, though warmer, more tender.

The series moves between Mediterranean warmth and northern coolness, between saturated colour and black-and-white austerity. Night scenes punctuate the work—hours when the boundary between public and private softens, when the city belongs to no one. The darkness is not threatening but permissive: a time when the nude body can exist without audience or judgment.

Elsewhere is not just a place—it is a state of being. What does it mean to feel that you do not belong in the space you occupy? The series captures the tension between private act and public view, between presence and disappearance. The city remains a silent, indifferent witness.

Selected works are available as limited edition archival prints through Artsper, Saatchi Art, and Artmajeur.

Nude figure stands on a pebbled beach at dusk, with shimmering water reflections and softly lit buildings in the background.
A nude figure stands by the seaside at dusk, with calm water reflecting warm lights from nearby buildings and gentle waves on a pebbly shore.
Nude figure on a decorated bridge, surrounded by historic buildings, captured in monochrome, highlighting textures and contrasts.
A nude woman leans over a wrought-iron railing, gazing at a serene canal flanked by brick buildings, captured in black and white.
Nude figure poses on a balcony overlooking a canal, framed by historic brick buildings, captured in a soft and moody black and white.
Nude figure in a sunlit alley with pastel-colored buildings, clotheslines overhead, and vibrant potted plants adorning windows.
Nude figure poses gracefully on a cobblestone street, draped with white laundry, surrounded by colorful, weathered buildings.
A nude figure poses gracefully in a sunlit alley, framed by pastel-colored buildings and vibrant laundry hanging above.
A nude model poses against a textured yellow wall, featuring contrasting red shutters. The scene captures a soft, artistic vibe.
Bella Donna nude art photography project. A woman poses against a yellow wall in an Italian street with laundry hanging above.
Nude figure curled up against a textured brick wall, captured in black and white, evoking a sense of introspection and vulnerability.
A nude figure curled up on a stone ledge, resting against textured brick walls in monochrome tones, conveying intimacy and solitude.
A nude woman sits curled up on a brick pedestal, framed by rough brick walls in a black-and-white setting. A blurred background suggests an urban environment.
Nude figure in a flowing beige robe dances gracefully in a dimly lit alley, showcasing textured stone pavement and muted urban backdrop.
Two figures stand nude on a grassy path, holding hands, in front of a rustic wooden house under a partly cloudy sky.
A figure in a flowing white garment walks barefoot on a cobblestone street at night, illuminated by street lamps.
Nude figure posed against a historic building at night, illuminated by street lamps, with pedestrians and cobblestones in the foreground.

All Projects / Exhibitions

UnNude

Silhouette of a crouching figure on a light background, emphasizing muscular limbs and dynamic pose, creating a sense of movement.

Not nude, but reimagined. In UnNude, flesh becomes form, and desire fades into geometry.

Niche

A nude figure sits gracefully on a vintage red velvet sofa, illuminated by natural light from a nearby window against a deep blue wall.

Niche is a space of tender withdrawal—where silence echoes in fabric, corners, and breath.

Ecotone

Naked figure partially obscured by foliage, posed against a tranquil lake, surrounded by lush greenery under soft sunlight.

Body becomes part of a living landscape—blurring the lines between skin, soil, and sunlight. 

Elsewhere

A nude model poses gracefully in a vibrant alley, adorned with pastel-colored walls and hanging laundry above.

Elsewhere follows the body through city shadows—unnoticed, unstilled, unreal.

Antemortem

A nude figure stands in a dimly lit barn, holding a ram's skull, framed by wooden slats and a window, in black and white.

A body caught between memory and erasure. Antemortem traces the soft residue of life before it slips into silence.

Crave

Silhouetted figures of a couple embrace closely, shrouded in smoke, highlighting their intimate connection against a soft, light backdrop.

Desire speaks in color. Crave paints the body with longing, each image trembling between heat and hunger.

Motus

A blurred figure with red hair poses against a dark background, arms raised, conveying a dynamic and expressive moment in nude art.

Not frozen moments, but echoes in motion. Motus captures the body in flux—between gesture, memory, and breath.

Lucida

Portrait of a figure with luminous, multicolored body paint against a dark background, delicately touching their chin, exuding ethereal beauty.

Under blacklight, the body becomes flare—a glow, an echo, a mirage. Lucida seeks the threshold where form dissolves.

Chimera

Monochrome image of a distorted human form submerged in water, with fluid reflections creating soft, wavy contours and shadows.

Mirrored, fractured, reformed. Chimera turns the body into illusion, where flesh bends under the gaze.

Melancholia

A nude figure leans on a wooden piano, surrounded by soft, warm lighting and draped fabric, conveying an intimate, melancholic mood.

Melancholia doesn’t shout—it lingers. These images carry silence, like a breath held too long.