Somnur Vardar

Watching the dramatic changes in Istanbul’s urban texture, our eyes are drawn to two young men. Ferhat, an unappointed teacher from Mardin (a city on the Türkiye-Syria border,) and his cousin Emrah, an aspiring teacher, work as bricklayers in construction sites, just like their grandfathers and fathers had been doing for decades. They are obliged to this job until a better option becomes available. Overwhelmed with concerns over their future and the tough working conditions, they both dream of a different life, hoping to break the vicious cycle of construction work. From workers’ dormitories to protests and occupation of construction sites, we get glimpses of their lives, hearing stories of struggle, resistance and solidarity, against the backdrop of a city in transformation.

In 2009, Cihangir Beautification Association from Istanbul and Kolonie Wedding from Berlin organised an artist exchange project. Titled as Amongst Neighbours 01 and realized under the main sponsorship of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, the project brought together artists from Cihangir and Mitte neighbourhoods of two cities who hosted each other for three weeks in two gatherings. While working on concepts of neighbourliness and foreignness, they questioned the bridges they built with each other and their vague relations with their own neighbours.