Letters from prisoners, video footage, newspaper clippings and reconstructions of painful historical events are among the materials that have been used by artists to explore human-rights violations, torture and unsolved murders in Turkey.
Reaching back to the Ottoman era and the Republic period and up to the present day, the 130 Turkish artists participating in “Ateşin Düştüğü Yer” (Where Fire Has Struck) aim to raise social awareness about often-hidden incidents for the 20th anniversary of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, or TİHV.
The show features people who were exposed to a wide range of torture and pressure, said Erdem Kosova, the art consultant for the exhibition, which opened late last week at Depo in Istanbul’s Tophane neighborhood. “In this way, we show the core of trauma. We bring the hidden truths to society’s agenda with this exhibition.” he said.