(VR) Installation im Lichtsaal/Terrace I #YAŞASINBAĞZIŞEYLER #KAHROLSUNBAĞZIŞEYLER
Silivri, the high-security prison for men outside Istanbul, is more than a prison. It is a symbol, not only for the precarious situation of critical thinkers in authoritarian systems, but also for their fighting spirit which is nearly impossible to break. Because thinking continues behind walls as well. Numerous journalists, intellectuals and human rights activists are held in Silivri, which is known as the »largest journalist prison«. »What you see is not merely a prison cell, it is much more a miniature of Turkey, the largest journalist prison in the world« (Can Dündar).
Silivri Müzesi (2023) takes its title from the utopian hope back in 2021 that, in the 100th year of the Republic of Turkey, Silivri prison will have turned into a museum. In virtual reality, however, the museum is already open and allows visitors to enter various places, such as an individual prison cell or the room from which prisoners must all too often participate in their trials merely through video.
