Turkish Artists in Berlin Navigate Identity, Migration, and Political Tensions
In Berlin, the exhibition 'Passengers of a Kaleidoscopic Journey,' overseen by curator Semra Sevin, showcases the works of forty artists, many with Turkish heritage, who delve into themes of identity and diversity. Featured pieces include immigrant photographs by Osman Nuri Iyem, layered acrylics by Sevin, and Ekin Su Koc’s collages depicting faceless figures. This exhibition takes place against a backdrop of heightened tensions following Turkish anti-terror police reports after President Erdogan’s visit. Koc reflects on the accumulation of identities, while Özer Toraman examines gender through self-portraits. Historical context includes the 1994 murder of Asli Bayram’s father and the 2016 Munich attack. The non-profit bi'bak fosters connections between Berlin and Istanbul, emphasizing the rich diversity of the Turkish community, which numbers over 1.5 million in Germany.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Passengers of a Kaleidoscopic Journey' in Berlin curated by Semra Sevin features 40 artists.
- Many artists are of Turkish origin; works address identity and diversity.
- Ekin Su Koc participated with eight collages of faceless human figures.
- Osman Nuri Iyem showed photographs from immigrants' perspective in Turkey.
- Semra Sevin created layered acrylic images requiring all three filters to see the full picture.
- Özer Toraman presented self-portraits exploring masculinity and femininity.
- Three weeks prior, Turkish anti-terror police vehicles were spotted in Berlin.
- President Erdogan visited Germany to meet Merkel and inaugurate Cologne mosque.
- Turkish community in Germany votes more for Erdogan than in Turkey (two-thirds in 2018 elections).
- Non-profit bi'bak in Wedding promotes artistic collaboration between Berlin and Istanbul.
- Over 1.5 million Turkish citizens in Germany; 2.5–4 million people of Turkish origin.
- Historical tensions include murders of Turkish-origin individuals by neo-Nazis.
Entities
Artists
- Ekin Su Koc
- Semra Sevin
- Osman Nuri Iyem
- Özer Toraman
Institutions
- Contemporary Istanbul
- bi'bak
- Pergamon Museum
- Artribune
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Cologne
- Los Angeles
- Paris
- Spain
- Denmark
- Van
- Ankara
- Bergama
- Darmstadt
- Munich
- Kreuzberg
- Wedding