EMRE SAYGILI
ARTIST
Photo: İlyas Hayta
Resides and works between İzmir and Berlin. Holds a degree in Political Science from Bilgi University and a Master’s in Media and Cultural Studies from Middle East Technical University.
His painting focuses on capturing the interplay between the aesthetics of nature and the artificial surroundings of urban life, often resulting in abstract landscapes contrasted with popular imagery. In his work, raw, spontaneous motion on canvas is combined with patient experimentation in texture and color. Distinct centers of gravity are often absent—an intentional response to the prevailing values of everyday life, which compel individuals to exist as detached subjects, increasingly disengaged from nature and lacking a clear focus to pursue.
Since 2017, he has shared studios with like-minded artists in the Daragac district of İzmir, where he draws inspiration from the neighborhood’s vibrant street culture. In the past, he also contributed as a co-curator of the UNHCR-supported exhibition Muhit/Neighbourhood.
"Doktor", 2017
Photo: Ali Cem Doğan
Hüseyin Özgürtepe Collection, Darağaç Artists, 2017
MUHİT, Bıçakçıhan, 2022
Muhit/ Neighbourhood/ الجوار
As the fruit of a collaboration between the Izmir City Council and UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the exhibition aims its focus at neighbourhoods, where large numbers of refugee children have been settled. The photographic exhibition presents the viewer with a comprehensive portrait, through the eyes of the children, of the life of the “neighbourhood” on the outskirts of the city, which is rarely featured in the mediacentric imagination. In this sense, by underlining the necessity of overcoming the widespread prejudice that defines communities in need as strangers in the city, it welcomes refugees once again as a vital subject in urban spaces.
The exhibition also provides refugee children with an opportunity to convey their impressions through mind maps created as part of a project led by Prof. Dr. Melek Göregenli. Each mind map serves as a document, offering insights into migration and cultural diversity, while highlighting the policies and practices needed to transform unjust social structures and the spatial construction of the urban milieu.
The curation of the exhibition is in the hands of Emre Saygılı together with the photography instructor, Mert Çakır. The exhibition is housed in one of Izmir’s most special spaces, the Bıçakçı Han in Basmane.
Seda TAŞKIN
+GERÇEK The photography exhibition Muhit, jointly organized by the İzmir City Council and the United Nations Refugee Agency, has opened its doors to art enthusiasts.
Muhit presents life on the urban periphery through the eyes of refugee children who received photography training. The exhibition, inaugurated at İzmir’s Bıçakçı Han, will be open until January 2. We discussed the exhibition’s content and its journey to the audience with Emre Saygılı, General Secretary of İzmir City Council, and Photographer Mert Çakır.
How did the idea for the exhibition come about?
Mert Çakır: The İzmir City Council and UNHCR are organizations actively working to improve the lives of refugees in İzmir. The idea for the exhibition emerged as the first step of a series of initiatives planned to identify the needs of the population arriving in the city due to forced migration. Our goal was to document and present the areas where refugees live. We conceptualized this through photographs and mental maps. The exhibition showcases photos taken by children alongside mental map studies conducted by Prof. Dr. Melek Göregenli, offering insights into the neighborhoods, or “quarters,” around İzmir where refugees live. This was one of the main starting points for the exhibition. With Büşra Hızlıer’s support, I greatly enjoyed helping the children complete their photography training and documenting this process.
What was your aim with the exhibition?
Emre Saygılı: The challenges faced by refugees following the EU-Turkey migration agreement became even more severe due to the pandemic. In İzmir, as in many other cities, new problems and needs arose. Urban policies play a critical role in addressing these issues, as they can either help solve them constructively or make them worse.The exhibition aims to influence these policies by highlighting the lives of refugee children through photographs and cognitive maps. We believe that these records might inform and inspire policies in favor of communities in need. A planned book project for 2022 will further support our efforts. For now, the exhibition provides viewers with an opportunity to better understand the realities of refugee communities. By fostering connections between locals, children, and their neighborhoods, the exhibition seeks to break down the barriers between İzmir’s long-term residents and its newer refugee population.
How many photographers are participating in the exhibition?
Mert Çakır: Workshop sessions were organized with a focus on gender equality, involving three boys and three girls in each group, for a total of 24 children. Each child contributed three photos, resulting in a total of 72 photographs and 46 mental maps in the exhibition.
Where did the workshops take place? Were the locations specifically chosen?
Emre Saygılı: The children participating in the workshops were selected from four different areas in İzmir with dense Syrian refugee populations, and all participants were Syrian. Contributions came from the Mevlana neighborhood, Göksu, Buca, Eski Çamlık and various neighborhoods in Basmane.
How long did the photography training last? Why were refugee children specifically chosen?
Emre Saygılı: The training lasted two weeks, thanks to Mert’s extraordinary efforts. Outside of workshop hours, the children completed assignments, photographing their neighborhoods and families. Many of these photos are featured in the exhibition. Various associations working closely with the İzmir City Council and UNHCR helped select the children. This initial phase of the project focused on Syrian refugees living in central districts. Next year, we plan to expand to areas where seasonal migrant workers reside.
What did the children focus on while taking photographs?
Mert Çakır: The practice of observation through photography is generally known as the photo-voice method. One of the main goals of the project was to document how children perceive and observe their surroundings and what catches their attention. This allowed us to explore their perspectives on their neighborhoods and the city while engaging them in a creative production process. Most of the children had never used a camera before and frequently expressed their excitement about it. I noticed the modesty in their lives. For instance, one participant didn’t tell his friends he was taking photos. When we asked why, he said he didn’t want to make them jealous—this was perhaps the most striking conversation for me.
Link to the original article: https://artigercek.com/kultur-sanat/multeci-cocuklarin-cektigi-fotograflar-sergiye-donustu-muhit-192071h