The museum of small things by Can Dündar and Hakan Savaş Mican tells the stories of political prisoners in Turkey with everyday objects – most of these objects come from the »world’s largest prison for journalists«, Silivri prison, where Can Dündar was imprisoned as well. The seemingly little things from the daily lives of 12 prisoners – a song hummed over the telephone, a letter in a bottle, or an undershirt used as a screen – serve as the starting point for actors Sesede Terziyan and Taner Şahintürk to invoke something much larger: Thoughts cannot be locked away. Or as Ahmet Altan wrote: »They can walk through walls, effortlessly.« The journalist Can Dündar collected the stories of Osman Kavala, Selahattin Demirtaş or Deniz Yücel and many more, who were or are currently in prison in Turkey, writing them down in order to underline their creativity and strength in situations that appear hopeless. By telling their stories he alludes to the situation of all political prisoners in Turkey who have been and will be imprisoned unjustly.
»You will all see, once again, that no ban, no repression, no isolation will ever be capable of limiting a thinking mind.« (Can Dündar)
The stories were written down and curated by journalist Can Dündar, the video-installation museum of small things was directed by Hakan Savaş Mican.
Open from 2/June
The Berliner Herbstsalon 2021 presents stronger still. exhibition – installation – talks, a project encompassing the prison no. 5 exhibition with works by Zehra Doğan, the SİLİVRİ. prison of thought and museum of small things installations, both curated by Can Dündar, and the witness exhibition with works by Timur Çelik. stronger still was conceived on the occasion of Re:Writing the Future by Allianz Kulturstiftung.
In the series of Berliner Herbstsalon 2021.
Funded by the State of Berlin, Hauptstadtkulturfonds within the framework of Re:Writing the Future.
