our lady of sorrows

Seray Ak, Against, 2001

“Shortly after the opening of the 2012 exhibition Aykiri (Contrary) at the Izmir Art Center at Kültürpark in Turkey, officials from the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality removed these three photographs. The artists boldly started a conversation on the politics of public exhibition of works of art in Izmir while vigorous debates about women’s obligation/right to wear head scarves –or not – and the future of the LGBTQ rights movement were underway. The censorship of these photographs occurred one day after a national news agency reported that the works contradicted religious and social values, followed by two national newspapers that published similar stories with one article saying “a photography exhibition that insults religious values has alarmed the country.” In response the Izmir Photography Art Association (IFOD), chaired by Beynan Özdemir, demonstrated its disapproval of the censorship by removing every work from the show thus shutting down the exhibition.”

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