Diyarbakir-Istanbul Art Network

Diyarbakir Art Center (DSM) opened its doors to public on Saturday, September 7 with these words.

A cosmopolite crowd that gathered in Diyarbakir, a predominantly Kurdish southeastern province, to attend the opening, literally accentuated that this art center is for everybody in Turkey.

From across the country

People from Diyarbakir, southeastern province of Maras, Urfa, Northwestern province of Kocaeli, central Anatolian province of Afyon, Istanbul, Muslims of the Sunni and Alawi branches of Islam, Assyrians, Armenians, Jews, poets, writers, actors, actresses, architects, academicians, businesspeople, students, people who came to Diyarbakir for the first time, people who lived in Diyarbakir for all their lives, people who had to migrate from Diyarbakir

35 years ago and who came back for the opening staying at a hotel they once worked in as a constructor, and journalists who for years visited the region for different occasions were all there for the opening.

The opening of the DSM was the stage of a colorful meeting at this city that is starting to silently share what it has silently treasured up for years.

One-sided relation

Maybe this meeting was not all that important. Diyarbakir still keeps in its memory the long history of such meetings.

Moreover, eastern Anatolian cities like Diyarbakir and Mardin has been witnessing an intense flow of western visitors lately.

However, with a few exceptions, these are all short visits that do not have a lasting effect and that pushes the people in Diyarbakir into a one-sided relationship.

Very few come to Diyarbakir to actually learn about the languages, cultures, and arts of the region, and to form horizontal cooperation networks.

Altering unbalanced relations

If the people who come are not there to "fight against terrorism," they are there to "extend a helping hand", or wear out the tourist attractions.

Because it aims to alter this type of unbalanced relations and because it has began to do so during its long preparation period, DSM is a center, an idea, a joint production, which is worthy of noting.

The Anatolian Culture Company, whose board of directors consists of people from Diyarbakir and Istanbul, set up DSM. Businessman Osman Kavala, who has developed the project and worked very hard for the last two years to bring it to life, has succeeded in bringing together an extensive support. This project has a pretentious agenda.

Augmentations exhibition and a traveling movie-theater

On the one hand, the directors are aiming for a flow of arts from Istanbul to Diyarbakir. For example, the Borusan Center of Culture and Arts, that has sent the "Augmentations" exhibition to DSM for the opening, has already played a role in this flow of arts in the long run.

Another flow of arts will be through movies: A traveling movie-theaters festival Independent movies will start touring the region starting out from Diyarbakir on September 7. It will visit Batman, Nusaybin, Kiziltepe and Viransehir by September 21.

The second goal is to make sure that this flow is a two-way flow. Through DSM, the artists and art pieces in Diyarbakir will be available for art-lovers in Istanbul. DSM's third and most pretentious goal is to "commence a joint production period."

Producing together

Everybody knows that producing together is much harder than sharing that which has been produced. It needs a long time, hard work and a strong sense of trust.

Nobody expects to reach the point of sharing in a short time. But they are already excited just to be able to say "why not?"

Serhan Ada is responsible of DSM's "living" projects I have been talking about.

Serhan Ada's words used for the documentary prepared to promote the center, were referred to frequently during the opening. The people in Diyarbakir embraced these words: "People always talk about 'we' and 'they,' 'there' and 'here' in Turkey. With DSM, we will do away with these words and emphasize the words 'all of us.'

How will this happen? I won't say 'we will see.' DSM is inviting us to personally do this ourselves.

Nobody should remain as a bystander. For example, you can join Bejan Matur's poetry workshop and voice the taboos in your mind, not as words but as sounds, on September 11. You can discuss mythology and immortality with Asli Erdogan, Kava Nemir and other participants from Diyarbakir on September 13,14 and 15.

You can join the people at DSM and become one of the "we" next month if you would like to take part in a theatre play with Emre Koyuncuoglu from Izmit City Theatres and other actors from the region.

Cahit Sitki: No distinction between you and me

DSM is a pleasant, warm and multicultural place for everyone who would like to contribute to the Diyarbakir-Istanbul network. It promises opportunities to all of those who would like to rethink of themselves, share and transform.

Bejan Matur, who would be staying there for another week for his poetry and self-expression workshop, was already feeling like the host as he sent us off.

A poem by the famous poet Cahit Sitki Taranca, which was distributed to us during the opening, touched on hospitality and riveted a joint desire:

".I want a land

Where there is no distinction between rich and poor, you and me;

Where everybody has a home to take shelter in winter.

I want a land

Sincere like living and loving;

Where people only complain of death."

There is something that everybody sharing this desire, could do. If you a looking for a place and you are not in Diyarbakir, DSM is just a bus-ticket away.

"We" and "Them" at the Panel

'We' from Diyarbakir listened to 'them' at the panel enlivened with Seyhmus Diken's, advisor for Diyarbakir mayor, businessman Can Paker, academician and writer Murat Belge, Istanbul's Acik Radio director Omer Madra and academician and columnist Sahin Alpay were among the speakers. Except Diken, all were from Istanbul.

In addition to this panel, there was a cocktail where the Diyarbakir governor and mayor also attended, the Augmentations exhibition, two movies for kids and adults, at the opening.

Did you know that poet Cahit Sitki Taranca is from Diyarbakir?

(AGA/NM/EA/NM)