consumption society

Vehbi Koç Foundation M.A. Fellowship

Private Museology: Establishing New Cultural Industries
in Istanbul

ABSTRACT

My research on private museology encompasses two distinct yet interconnected studies.

The first leg, building upon my undergraduate thesis in sociology at Galatasaray University (Istanbul), ventures into private museology’s integration within Istanbul’s cultural industry in the 21st century. Focusing on the illustrious Pera Museum and Sabancı Museum, I investigate their role as catalysts in invigorating Istanbul’s cultural landscape during the 2000s.

Through a comprehensive survey conducted at both museums, I delve into the impact of postmodern museology on visitor perceptions, experiences, and engagement.  

This exploration delves beyond the physical museum visit, embracing the entire spectrum of interactions, including participation in auxiliary events and programs. In the second phase of my research, conducted as part of my master’s program in Anatolian Civilizations and Cultural Heritage Management at Koç University (Istanbul), I delve deeper into the intricacies of communication and marketing strategies within the context of visitor practices. With a narrower focus solely on the Pera Museum, I conducted an extensive survey to unravel the nuanced relationship between “new museology” attributes and visitor behaviors. This in-depth analysis, involving over 200 participants and spanning different days and times, seeks to uncover how the evolving landscape of museology shapes visitor experiences and engagement.

These parallel studies not only contribute to the academic discourse surrounding museology and cultural consumption but also hold practical implications for cultural institutions and professionals. By uncovering the intricate interplay between museums, postmodern trends, and visitor dynamics, my research offers insights that can enrich the visitor experience and contribute to the ongoing transformation of Istanbul’s cultural tapestry.

establishing new cultural industries in Istanbul

private museology

book

Private Museology: Establishing New Cultural Industries a book written by Dr. Elif Çiğdem Artan

This study aims at examining the integration of private museology into Istanbul’s culture industry in the twenty-first century, and focuses on the case of the Pera Museum by looking at its communication strategies with regards to visitor perceptions and the museum’s reputation. In this context, this study examines the concept of museology both in modern and postmodern periods, and looks at the developments in Turkish museology in the twenty-first century when private museums carrying a postmodern understanding of museology joined Istanbul’s culture industry. Moreover, based on survey research conducted in January 2009 at the Pera Museum, one of the most distinguished private museums in Istanbul, the study analyzes the effects of postmodern museology on museum visitors. It discusses the ways in which perceptions and expectations of visitors changed as they were exposed to messages and offerings of the private museums during the postmodern period.

September 2011
Publisher: LAP
Language: English
Paperback: 156 pages
ISBN-10: 9783844309492
ISBN-13: 978-3844309492

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#talks

müzeler için dijital ietişim stratejileri

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Heritage Fair, 2015, Istanbul reprensenting MMKD w/ Elif Koçak

Onu kendinize nasıl bağlarsınız?

MMKD – Müzecilik Meslek Kuruluşu Derneği’ni temsilen, derneğin dijital markalaşma çalışmalarını birlikte yürüttüğümüz Elif Koçak’la, Heritage 2015 Fuarı’nda bir sunum gerçekleştirdik. Elif’le, MMKD’de gönüllü çalışmaya başlamadan önce, farklı müzelerde dijital pazarlama stratejileri geliştirirken Twitter paylaşımlarımız üzerinden tanışmıştık. Samimi bir arkadaşlığa dönüşen mesleki paylaşımlarımız gösterdi ki aynı zamanlarda, farklı üniversitelerde, aynı kitapları okuyup müzeler ile tüketi toplumu arasındaki ilişkiyi farklı açılardan analiz eden tezler yazmışız. Bu konuşmanın temelini de o tezlerin dijital toplum ile birliklte analizi oluşturur.

Sunumu üç bölüme ayırdık; ilk bölümde ben MMKD’yi tanıttım ve dernek çalışmalrından bahsettim; ikinci bölümde Elif, çevirisi üzerinde çalıştığımız Digital Engagement Framework kitabından yola çıkarak dijital iletişim stratejilesinin nasıl hazırlanması gerektiğini detaylı bir şekilde ele aldı ve örneklerle zenginleştirdi ; ve son bölümde ben, Haziran 2013’ten beri Elif’le birlikte geliştirdiğimiz ve yine birlikte yürüttüğümüz MMKD dijital iletişim stratejisinin detaylarını açıkladım; hedef kitlesi , kanallar, içerik üretimi vb.

@museumbuzzy – blog

360-degree

data-driven information production

selected publications :: talks

#Publications

Communication Strategies in Postmodern Museology: Communicated and Conceived Identity of the Pera Museum

The International Journal of the Humanities: Annual Review, 2011, 8 (11): 289-300.

This study aspires to discover the role of museums in Turkish society and to understand the relationship between museums and their visitors. Rather than focusing its limit only on museums’ performances regarding visitor numbers and economic profit, the study looks at the communication tools of museums. In previous years, during the modern museology, the relationship between museums and visitors was at the level of visitors’ visual experience of displayed objects. But in today’s postmodern museology, the requirement is to establish mutual and interactive relations between the museum, its collections, exhibitions, services and their users. Today, many museums are interested in asking the following questions: Who is coming? What do they think about the museum? Is it enough to know who the visitors are? Who is not coming? How can we find out? In order to figure out who is not coming, the museum has to first look at who is coming; a question that can be answered by an audience development research. In that respect, this study focuses on one of the most distinguished museums in Istanbul, the Pera museum, and has three research questions to answer: Which image does the Pera Museum intend to communicate? Which is the visitors’ image of the Pera Museum? How well does the communicated image correspond to the actual image of the Pera Museum? The AC2ID Test, which has been first developed as ACID Test, was applied in order to clarify how the Pera museum defines itself and how people perceive it as well as to measure the communication gap between the museum and visitors.

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#Publications

Consuming in Museums: Visitor Behaviours in Postmodern Era

The International Journal of the Humanities: Annual Review, 2008, 6 (7): 1-6.

While classical sociological approach was stating that museums belonged to privileged societal groups, today, contemporary museology approach not only gives importance to unprivileged social groups but also tries to engage them with museums through their educative role. In the Turkish context, the private museums in Istanbul, emerged after 1980s, appeared as a breaking point in Turkish Museology history as they adopted the new museology conception, contrary to national museums which adopted classical museology approach. Furthermore, it is obvious that since 1980s, paralleling the adoption of liberal economy, new identities emerged in Turkey. Turkish businessmen, pioneering this new development, became more oriented towards cultural and social issues, in addition to their economic gains. Besides, as a consequence of continuing globalization, global culture penetrated into Turkish culture. One can argue that popular culture, mass communication and consumption are the elements of this new period that modified Turkish culture, museology and museum places. In modern contexts museums are considered as sacred, conservative places where national ideology and societal memory are transmitted to the new generations as representation of national identity. To the contrary, with the emergence of private museums in Istanbul, museum spaces are transformed into a synthetic place of shopping mall and public fairground as new services are offered to visitors (café, restaurant, museum shop, education programs, conferences, cinema, etc.). This paper analyzes the ways in which identity is constructed through consumption in museums: through visiting attitudes, volunteering or attaining membership.

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#Publications

Postmodern Museums as an Interactive Matrix and a Consumption Ground: A Study on the Private Museums in Istanbul

Galatasaray Üniversitesi İletişim Dergisi, 2012, 105-132.

Today, the classical sociological criticism of museums, which perceives their function as strengthening the sense of belonging in some, and that of exclusion in others, seems to lose its validity. The new approach to museology has saved museum from its former perception as a temple of muses and constructed it as a hybrid place amidst a shopping mall and a public fairground. This study aims to discuss the notion of postmodern museum that has emerged in Turkey through the establishment of private museums with the concept of new museology, based on the relationship between economic and cultural capital (which became an industrial one). Moreover, the interactive relationship between postmodern museums and visitors is analysed within the context of daily life, leisure, and tourism. Theoretical discussion is complemented with the field studies conducted in Pera Museum and Sabancı Museum.

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my portfolio and resume

about me

portfolio*

Inclusive Storytelling in Academia, Arts and Culture, and Civil Society

Migrant Women’s Memory Box

#ParticipatoryCuratorship Migrant Women’s Memory Box archived by the Bibliothek der Generationen housed at the Histroical Museum Frankfurt Story of A curatorship with marginalized communities The Library of Generations is an artistic reminiscence project developed by artist Sigrid Sigurdsson in 2005 and will be housed in the Historisches Museum Frankfurt (Historical Museum Frankfurt) until 2105. In…
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DFG Doctoral Fellowship

sociology of memory DFG Doctoral Fellowship The Future of the Present: Autonomous Archiving of Activist Videos ABSTRACT This study examines the contribution of activist videos from the Occupy Wall Street and the Occupy Gezi Park movements to non-authoritarian and non-linear history-writing. To this end, it focuses on three major domains with particular points of interest…
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Vehbi Koç Foundation M.A. Fellowship

consumption society Vehbi Koç Foundation M.A. Fellowship Private Museology: Establishing New Cultural Industries in Istanbul ABSTRACT My research on private museology encompasses two distinct yet interconnected studies. The first leg, building upon my undergraduate thesis in sociology at Galatasaray University (Istanbul), ventures into private museology’s integration within Istanbul’s cultural industry in the 21st century. Focusing…
Read More Vehbi Koç Foundation M.A. Fellowship

2022/23 Mercator-IPC fellowship

transnational feminist policies 2022/23 Mercator-ipc fellowship Documenting Turkey’s Withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention and Discussing This Decision’s Potential for EU Member States  ABSTRACT Gender-based discrimination and violence does not differentiate geography. Today, in various lands around the world—including in EU countries such as Hungary, Poland, Italy, and Germany—several “anti-gender” movements have emerged out of conservative right-wing…
Read More 2022/23 Mercator-IPC fellowship

anti-racist feminist policy-making

DaMigra e.V. anti-racist feminist policy-making Expertise in the comprehensive implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Germany from an intersectional perspective OVErview Between May 2019 and September 2022, I worked as a researcher at DaMigra (Dachverband der Migrantinnen e.V.—the Umbrella Organization of Migrant Women’s Self-Associations) in Berlin on racism and (hetero-)sexist gender-based violence. My expertise at…
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#WritingForVariousAudiences

Critical Insights on Autonomous Archiving, Intersectional Feminism,
and Participatory Museology

The Future of the Present: Autonomous Archiving of Activist Videos. Approved by Faculty I – Humanities and Educational Sciences, Technische Universität Berlin. Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. Phil.). 2021.

Private Museology: Establishing New Cultural Industries in Istanbul. Lambert Academic Publishing, Sept. 2011.

“Migrant Women’s Reminiscence Box in Frankfurt.” Feminist Pedagogy: Museums, Memory Sites, and Practices of Remembrance, edited by Meral Akkent and S. Nehir Kovar, İstos Publication, Nov. 2019.

“Panel: ‘Tırnak İçinde Çağdaş Müzecilik’ (Contemporary Museology in Quotes).” 29. Müzeler Haftası, Kültür Mirası ve Müzeler Öğrenci Konferansı, edited by Arş. Gör. Hanzade Uralman, Yıldız Teknik University, 2011.

“Çağdaş Müzecilik ve Postmodernliğin Yansımaları” [Contemporary Museology and Postmodernism]. Kırılmalar, Sınırlar, Yolculuklar: Sanat ve Felsefe Buluşması, edited by Aslıhan Erkmen, Ayşe N. Erek, and Nazlı Eda Noyan, Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayınları, 2010.

“Mabet Yeri ya da Panayır Alanı Olarak Müzeler” [Museum Places: Temple or Fairground]. Özneler, Durumlar, ve Mekanlar, edited by Emre Işık and Yıldırım Şentürk, Bağlam Yayınları, 2009, pp. 185-193.

“‘#OccupyGezi Architecture’ and Archival Tactics of Resistance.” International Journal of Islamic Architecture, vol. 9, no. 2, 1 July 2020, pp. 409-430.

“Etkileşim Düzlemi ve Tüketim Mekanı Olarak Postmodern Müzeler: İstanbul’daki Özel Müzeler Üzerine Bir İnceleme” [Postmodern Museums as an Interactive Matrix and a Consumption Ground: A Study on the Private Museums in Istanbul].Aynalı Labirent: Küreselleşen Kentte Tüketim, edited by Ali Ergur, Galatasaray University Faculty of Communications Publication, Special Publication No. 2, July 2012, pp. 105-132.

“Communication Strategies in Postmodern Museology: Communicated and Conceived Identity of the Pera Museum.” The International Journal of the Humanities, vol. 8, no. 11, 2011

“Consuming in Museums: Visitor Behaviours in the Postmodern Era.” The International Journal of the Humanities, vol. 6, no. 7, 2008.

“How to navigate ‘Changing Cities, Changing Museums’ for the voices unheard.” ICOM/CAMOC Museums of Cities Review, Summer-Fall, 2024, pp. 60-62.

“Confusion of an Architect: Curatorship and Space Design in a Participatory Exhibition Project.” Migration: Cities (Im)migration and Arrival Cities, ICOM/CAMOC Museums of Cities Review, Dec. 2019, pp. 32-39.

“Reconfiguring Keywords of Migration and Women through a Participatory Exhibition Project.” Feministische Geo-RundMail, no. 73, Sept. 2017, pp. 22-27. 

“Rethinking Museum Collections in the Face of Urban Activism and Autonomous Archives.” CAMOCnews, no. 1, 2016, pp. 7-8. 

“Araştırma Enstitüleri ve İstanbul’un Kentsel Hafızası” [Research Institutes and Urban Memory of Istanbul]. IstanbulArtNews, no. 35, Oct. 2016.

Interview. “Türkiye’de Mimarlık Camiasına Dışarıdan ve İçeriden Bakış” [An Insider and Outsider Look at the Architecture Milieu in Turkey], with Yelta Köm. Seralife, no. 12, Mar. 2016.

“Keeping Memories Alive! The Federal German Migrant Women’s Association Contribution for the ‘Bibliothek der Alten’ in the Frankfurt Historical Museum.” CAMOCnews, no. 1, 2015. 

“Sanatımızda Bir Milat: Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi” [A Milestone in Our Art History: The Tortoise Trainer]. Artist, Feb.-Mar. 2009, pp. 70-73.

“Müzede Eğitim ve Rahmi M. Koç Müzesi” [Education in the Museum and the Rahmi M. Koç Museum]. Arredamento Mimarlık, no. 216, Sept. 2008, pp. 69-73.

“Fotoğrafın Sanatsal Değerinin Ötesinde Bir Çalışma: Bilgi mi Propaganda mı?” [Photography Beyond Artistic Value: Information or Propaganda?]. Cogito, Fall 2007, special edition on Walter Benjamin, Yapı Kredi Yayınları, pp. 88-100.

“Bir Bavuldan Fazlası: Göçle Dönüşen Müze” [More Than a Suitcase: Museum Transformed by Migration]. Genç Sanat, Nov. 2017, pp. 42 – 47.

“Müze ve Kültür Kurumları için Yeni Yaklaşımlar: Alâka Kurmanın Sanatı” [New Approaches for Museums and Cultural Institutions: The Art of Relevance]. Genç Sanat, no. 255, Dec. 2016, pp. 36-41.

“Müzelere Ziyaretçi Çekmenin Binbir Yolu” [A Thousand and One Ways to Attract Visitors to Museums. Genç Sanat, no. 245, Feb. 2016, pp.42-49.

 “Müzeyi Kim Kurar? Müze Sergi İşleri ve Tasarım Süreçleri.” [Who Establishes a Museum?: Museum Exhibition Works and Design Processes]. Genç Sanat, no. 251, July-Aug. 2016, pp. 20-27. 

“Müze ile Kenti Birlikte Düşünmek” [Thinking Museum Along with City]. Genç Sanat, no. 243, Nov. 2015, pp. 38-43.

“Sponsor ile Müzenin Büyük İzdivacı” [Spectacle Marriage Between Sponsor and Museum]. Genç Sanat, no. 242, Oct. 2015, pp. 50-55. 

“Müzeler ve Görüntünün Arkeolojisi” [Museums and Archeology of View]. Genç Sanat, no. 242, Oct. 2015, pp. 20-27.

“Ağırlıklar ve Ölçüleri: Pera Müzesi’nden Türkiye Müzeciliğine” [Weights and Measures: From Pera Museum to Museology in Turkey]. Genç Sanat, no. 239, June 2015, pp. 26-35. 

“Peki Ya Ziyaretçi Gelmezse? Müzeler ve Medya”[What If Visitor Wouldn’t Come? Museums and Media]. Genç Sanat, no. 232, Nov. 2014, pp. 25-29. 

“Müzeler ve Popüler Kültür” [Museums and Popular Culture]. Genç Sanat, no. 228, June 2014, pp. 28-35. 

“Müze Evler: ‘Saklama’ ile ‘Sunma’ Arasında Zihniyet Problemi” [Museum Houses: A Mindset Problem Between ‘Preservation’ and ‘Presentation’]. Genç Sanat, no. 226, Apr. 2014, pp. 42-49.

“‘Sakın Elleme’den ‘Lütfen Dokun’a Müzede Algı Değişimi” [From ‘Hands Off’ to ‘Please Touch’: A Shift in Museum Perception]. Genç Sanat, no. 224, Feb. 2014, pp. 26-31. 

“‘Müzelik’ Eser” [A ‘Museum-Worthy’ Artifact]. Genç Sanat, no. 223, Jan. 2014, pp. 22-29.

“Müzeler Dijital Koleksiyonlarıyla Daha Mı Demokratik?” [Are Museums More Democratic with Their Digital Collections?] Genç Sanat, no. 221, Nov. 2013, pp. 26-31.

“Dijital Platformda Müzecilik İçin Lütfen Buraya Tıklayınız” [For Museum Practices on Digital Platforms, Please Click Here]. Genç Sanat, no. 219, Sept. 2013, pp. 34-37.

“Müzeleri Kimler, Neden Ziyaret Ediyor?” [Who Visits Museums and Why?] Genç Sanat, no. 218, June-July 2013, pp. 26-31.

“Çağa ayak uyduran radyoculuk ve feminist podcastler” [Radio Broadcasting Keeping Up with the Times and Feminist Podcasts]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 41, 2021, p. 39.

“İnternet üzerinde tek bir müze: Google Arts and Culture” [A Single Museum on the Internet: Google Arts and Culture]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 41, 2021, p. 40.

“DJ İpek’le Kurtlarımızı Döküyoruz!” [Let’s Shake It with DJ İpek!]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 38, 2019, p. 8-9.

“Kadın Bedeninin Hareketi: ‘Şu Gurbetlik Zor Zanaat Zor’” [Female Body in Motion: ‘This Exile Is a Tough Craft, Tough’] Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 37, 2017, p. 26-27.

“Beden Olumlama: Nasıl Göründüğümüzden Bağımsız Kadınlığımız” [Body Positivity: Our Womanhood Independent of How We Look].  Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 33, 2017, p. 10-11.

“GKB’nin 12 yıllık hafızası IG Metall-Haus Berlin’de sergilendi: ‘Dişil Perspektiften Dünya!’” [12 Years of GKB’s Collective Memory Exhibited at IG Metall-Haus Berlin: ‘The World from a Female Perspective!’] Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 33, 2017, p. 28-29.


“Yazmaya henüz başladık” [We’ve Just Started Writing]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 33, 2017, p. 30-31. 

“BdA119 yazı atölyeleri yeniden başladı” [BdA119 Writing Workshops Have Restarted]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 32, 2017, p. 27.

“Kiap bavulumuzu hazırlıyoruz” [We’re Packing Our Book-Suitcase]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 32, 2017, p. 28-29.

“Bütün bu örtülerin arasında kadınlar nerede?” [Where Are the Women Among All These Covers?] Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 32, 2017, p. 30-32.

“Bibliothek der Alten projesinin ilk çalışması tamamlandı: ‘Dişil Bir Sözlük’ Sergisi” [The First Work of the ‘Bibliothek der Alten’ Project Is Complete: ‘A Female Dictionary’ Exhibition]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 29, 2016, p. 30-32.

“Ein partizipative Ausstellungsprojekt: ABC des Bundesverbands der Migrantinnen // Ein Weibliches Wörterbuch” [A Participatory Exhibition Project: ABC of the Federal German Migrant Women’s Association // A Female Dictionary]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 28, 2015, p. 23.

“Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği’nden Dişil Bir Sözlük” [A Female Dictionary of Migrant Women]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 28, 2015, p. 9.

“Yeryüzünün çeşitli yerlerinde doğan ve yolları Frankfurt’ta kesişen kadınların hikâyesi” [The story of women born in different parts of the world whose paths cross in Frankfurt]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 24, 2014, pp. 30-31.

“Hikâyemi dinler misin?” [Would You Listen to My Story?]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 23, 2014, p. 33. 

“Ulus ve din fark etmeyen göç hikayeleri” [Migration Stories Beyond Nations and Religions]. Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği–Kadın/Frau Magazine, No: 23, 2014, p. 35.  

“Museum Hack rehberli turlarıyla bir harika!” [Museum Hack’s guided tours are awesome!]. AGOS, 18 March 2016.

“‘Dişil Bir Sözlük’ İstanbul Yolcusu” [Female Dictionary Flies to Istanbul]. Yeni Hayat, 14 Nov. 2016.

“Ein Weibliches Wörterbuch des Bundesverbandes der Migrantinnen” [A Female Dictionary from the Migrant Women’s Association]. Yeni Hayat, 30 Nov. 2015. 

“Göçmen Kadınlar Yazdı: ‘Dişil Bir Sözlük’” [Migrant Women Wrote: A Female Dictionary]. Evrensel Pazar, 13 Dec. 2015.

“Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği’nden ‘Dişil Bir Sözlük’” [A Female Dictionary from the Migrant Women’s Association]. Yeni Hayat, 27 Nov.-10 Dec. 2015.

“Law No. 6284 in Practice After Withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention.” IPC – Mercator Analysis, Apr. 2023.

Co-author. Alternative Report on the Implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. Bündnis Istanbul-Konvention, Feb. 2021.

Co-author. GREVIO-Shadow Report on the Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Germany. DaMigra e.V., Dec. 2020.

Co-author. Wir müssen aufhören zu wollen, dass die sagen, Ihr dürft. [We have to stop wanting them to say, ‘You may.’] DaMigra e.V., June 2020.

Co-author. Gewalt gegen ALLE Frauen* stoppen! Istanbul-Konvention umsetzen: VORBEHALTLOS! [Stop Violence Against ALL Women! Implement the Istanbul Convention: UNCONDITIONALLY!] DaMigra e.V., Apr. 2020.

“The World Has Forgotten Us: Sinjar and the Islamic State’s Genocide of the Yezidis, Thomas Schmidinger.” Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, vol. 19, no. 2, 1 July 2023, pp. 238–240.

“Democratising the Museum: Reflections on Participatory Technologies,” edited by Pille Runnel and Pille Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt. Bilgi University Cultural Policies and Management Yearbook, 2014-2015, İstanbul Bilgi University Press, Jan. 2016.

“Il Museo Rahmi M. Koç (Rahmi M. Koç Museum).” Ritrattidi città: Istanbul (Portraits of Cities: Istanbul), edited by Teresita Scalco and Moira Valeri, Editrice Compositori, Bologna, 2015.

“Il Museo Pera (Pera Museum).” Ritrattidi città: Istanbul (Portraits of Cities: Istanbul), edited by Teresita Scalco and Moira Valeri, Editrice Compositori, Bologna, 2015.

“‘Ich verbringe hier meine Zeit sehr schön’: Solidaritätsnetzwerke der Migrant*innen, urbane Politik und die Istanbul-Konvention” [‘I spend my time very good here’: Solidarity Networks of Migrants, Urban Politics, and the Istanbul Convention]. Heinrich Böll Stiftung, 29 Oct. 2021. https://www.boell.de/de/2021/10/29/ich-verbringe-hier-meine-zeit-sehr-schoen.

“The Struggle of Migrant Women in Germany for Independent Residency Rights.” Localization of Feminism Conference Proceedings, Havle Kadın Association, Dec. 2020. https://www.havlekadin.com/feminist-bilgi/almanyada-gocmen-kadinlarin-esten-bagimsiz-oturum-hakki-mucadelesi/.

“Aşkın Gözü Kör mü Acaba?” [Is Love Truly Blind?] Manifold, 30 June 2020. https://manifold.press/askin-gozu-kor-mu-acaba.

“Yeni AKM: İmgelerle Tahayyül” [The New AKM: A Vision in Images]. Manifold, 2 Dec. 2017. https://manifold.press/yeni-akm-imgelerle-tahayyul.

“Katılımcı Sergi Projesinde Mimarın Kafa Karışıklığı” [The Architect’s Confusion in a Participatory Exhibition Project]. Manifold, 10 Aug. 2017. https://manifold.press/katilimci-sergi-projesinde-mimarin-kafa-karisikligi.

Exhibition Review: “Bütün Bu Örtülerin Arasında Kadınlar Nerede” [Where Are the Women Beneath All These Veils?] Reçel Blog, 24 July 2017. http://recel-blog.com/butun-bu-ortulerin-arasinda-kadinlar-nerede/

“MMKD Tartışıyor: Kim Müzede Nasıl Çalışır?” [MMKD Discusses: Who Works in Museums, and How?] MMKD Blog, 7 June 2017. http://mmkd.org.tr/mmkd-tartisiyor-kimler-muzede-nasil-calisir/

Book Review: “Gidenlerin Ardından Güneş Yeniden Doğar mı? | Bâlâ Atabek, İşte Güneş Geliyor” [Will the Sun Rise Again After They’re Gone? | Bâlâ Atabek, İşte Güneş Geliyor] Sanatatak, 17 Apr. 2016. https://www.sanatatak.com/gidenlerin-ardindan-gunes-yine-dogar-mi/.

Workshop Review: “İmajlarla Bir Eylemlilik Hali” [A State of Activism Through Images] Sanatatak, 7 Mar. 2016. https://www.sanatatak.com/majlarla-bir-eylemlilik-hali/.

Interview: “Yazı Yazmak da Sergi Yapmak da Mimarlığa Dahil” [Both Writing and Exhibition-Making Are Integral to Architecture], with Yelta Köm. Sanatatak, Feb. 2016. http://www.sanatatak.com/view/yazi-yazmak-da-sergi-yapmak-da-mimarliga-dahil.

Interview: “Mardin’in Sesleri: Nesne İçin Değil, İnsan İçin Var Olma” [The Sounds of Mardin: Existing Not for Objects, But for People], with Mardin Museum. MMKD, Jan. 2016. http://www.mmkd.org.tr.

Workshop Review: “Toplumsal Hareketlerin Dijital Kaydı ve Kolektif Hafıza” [Digital Documentation of Social Movements and Collective Memory]. Artık İşler Collective, Oct. 2015. http://artikisler.net/toplumsal-hareketlerin-dijital-kaydi-ve-kolektif-hafiza/.
Exhibition Review: “Kültürden Sen Anlarsın Konuş Onlarla” [You’re the One Who Knows Culture — You Talk to Them]. Dikkat Kaygan Zemin, VÇMD Blog, May 2015. http://dikkatkayganzemin.vcmd.com.tr/blog/kueltuerden-sen-anlarsin-konus-onlarla.

#SpeakingAtDiverseLevels

Critical Discussions on History-Writing, Gender Equality,
and Inclusive Museum

“Empowering Marginalised Voices for Social Justice.” MuseumNext, Museum Social Impact Summit 2024, Online, 22-23 May 2024.

“Kadın Göçmenlerin Hafızasını Belgelemek: Türkiye ve Almanya’dan İki Proje Örneği” [Documenting the Migrant Women’s Memory: Two Project Examples from Turkey and Germany]. Heritage Talks, Miras Sohbetleri, with Nilgün Kıvırcık, Kadın Eserleri Kütüphanesi, İstanbul, 17 May 2024.

“Representing Intersectional Communities: How to Increase Gender, Ethnic and Social Class Diversity in City Museums?” CAMOC 2023 Annual Conference — Changing Cities, Changing Museums, New York, 16-18 Oct. 2023.

“Göçmen Kadınların Almanya’daki Hafızası: Bir Katılımcı Arşiv Projesi” [The Memory of Migrant Women in Germany: A Participatory Archive Project]. Arşiv ve Bellek Seminerleri 23, İBB Atatürk Kitaplığı, 11 Oct. 2023.

“EU is ‘Concerned,’ but is it Enough?: Review on Europewide Migration and Gender Politics Following Turkey’s Withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.” International Conference on Gender Studies: Gender and Power, London, 25-26 Feb. 2023.

“Intersectional Curatorial Practices: Questioning Migration and Gender in City Museums.” ICOM/CAMOC Annual Conference — Connecting Cities, Connecting Citizens: Towards a Shared Sustainability, Hybrid/Barcelona, 1-4 Dec. 2021.

“The Struggle of Migrant Women in Germany for Independent Residency Rights.” Localization of Feminism Conference, Organized by Havle Kadın Association, Online, 20 Dec. 2020.

“Fighting for the ‘Missing Archive’.” Hashtags Tweets Protests: Social Movements in Digital Age, Annual Conference of the Institute for Social Movement Studies (IPB), Berlin, 15-16 Nov. 2019.

“Migrant Women’s Reminiscence Box in Frankfurt.” Feminist Pedagogy: Museums, Memory Sites, and Practices of Remembrance, SU Gender and İstanbul Kadın Müzesi Conference, İstanbul, 18-20 Oct. 2018.

“Rethinking City Museums in the Face of Autonomous Archives.” ICOM/CAMOC Annual Conference: The Future of Museums of Cities, Frankfurt am Main, 4-5 June 2018.

“Counter Reflection: Resistance in the Exhibition Room.” The Politics of Culture in Contemporary Turkey, CNMS at Philipps-Universität, Marburg, 14-16 Feb. 2018.

“Documentation of Urban Witnessing.” Urbantopias: Discussing the Challenges of Changing Cities, Berlin, 27-29 Oct. 2016.

“Bibliothek der Alten: Keeping Memories Alive!” ICOM/CAMOC 10th Anniversary Annual Conference, Museum of Moscow, 4-9 Sept. 2015.

“Onu Kendinize Nasıl Bağlarsınız? Müzeler İçin Dijital Stratejiler” [How Do You Keep Them Engaged? Digital Strategies for Museums], with Elif Koçak. Heritage Restoration, Archaeology, Museum Technologies Fair, İstanbul, 6 Feb. 2015.

“Bibliothek der Alten: Keeping Memories Alive!” School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, 4-5 Nov. 2014.

“The Museum of Innocence: Orhan Pamuk and His Fictive City Museum.” International Conference on the Inclusive Museum, Copenhagen, 22-24 Apr. 2013.

Participant. The Museums & Mobile III Online Conference, 26 Oct. 2011.

“Sustainable Social Media Strategies and the Case of the Pera Museum.” Sixth International Conference on the Arts in Society, Berlin, 9-11 May 2011.

“Pera Museum: New Media Applications in Audience Development Strategies.” International Conference on European Project ‘Digital Bridges’, Eskişehir, 12 Apr. 2011.

“Establishing Private Museums in Istanbul: The Interchangeability of Three Capitals and the Case of the Pera Museum.” International Conference on Contemporary Social Research: Beyond Bourdieu, University of Copenhagen, 1-2 Dec. 2009.

“Establishing Cultural Identity Through Consumption in Postmodern Museums: Globalization and Cultural Policy.” Sixth International Conference on New Directions in Humanities, Istanbul, 15-18 July 2008.

Presenter. Sayısal Kelimeler Çalıştayı [Numerical Words Workshop], on GKB’s female dictionary. Işık Yakan Kadınlar. 4, TOBB ETÜ—Faculty of Architecture and design, Ankara (hybrid),  21 Feb. 2924.

Discussant. “Diskussionsrunde: Heirat statt homeschooling?” [Panel Discussion: Marriage Instead of Homeschooling?] Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit, Berlin (hybrid), 6 Oct. 2021.

Discussant. “Panel on the Istanbul Convention.” Feministischer Streik Leipzig, online, 5 July 2021.

Workshop Co-Coordinator. “bak.ma: Autonomous Archiving of Political Movements.” Interflugs Workshop: Autonomous Archiving: Videograms of Civil Disobedience on Non-Linear Timelines, UdK Berlin, 15-16 Nov. 2019.

Speaker. “Urban Commons – Information Commons.” Pop Up Blow Up: Urban Commons in Berlin Workshop, organized by Herkes İçin Mimarlık in collaboration with Bi’ Bak, Berlin, Nov. 2018.

Presenter. “‘Counter Reflection’: What the Police Camera Does See.” Workshop Politics from Below, TU Berlin, Institute for Social Movement Studies Berlin (ipb), Berlin, 9 July 2018.

Presenter. “Collective History Making in City Museums: Establishing Communities for Sustainability of Archival Materials.” ICOM/CAMOC Workshop: Towards a City Museum Watch, Museum of Lisbon, Lisbon, 3-4 May 2019.

Presenter. “Reconfiguration of ‘Migration’ and ‘Woman’ in a Participatory Museum Project.” ICOM/CAMOC Workshop: Migration:Cities, Frankfurt am Main, 2 June 2018.

Presenter. “Dijital Flaneur: Evimde Oturuyorum, Dünyayı Geziyorum” [Digital Flaneur: Travelling the World from Home]. Walter Benjamin: Zaman, Mekan, Hafıza, Metin Atölyesi, Istanbul,, 6-7 Jan. 2012.

Discussant. “29. Müzeler Haftası Kültür Mirası ve Müzeler Öğrenci Konferansı” [29th Museums Week, Cultural Heritage and Museums Student Conference]. İstanbul Bilgi University, İstanbul, 22 May 2010.

Speaker. “Postmodern Müzelerde Tüketim” [Consumption in Postmodern Museums]. Göcek Second Summer School of Art and Philosophy, Istanbul Technical University, Göcek, 27-30 Aug. 2008.

Discussant. “Art, Festival and Urban Transformation in the Age of Globalization Workshop.” Yıldız Technical University Globalization Center, Istanbul, 11 Dec. 2007.

#ParticipatoryCuratorship

publications

Migrant Women’s Memory Box

I coordinated and edited 4 bilingual publications in TR/GER that highlight the experiences of women immigrated from Turkey to Germany. 

These books were created in a participatory process through workshops, making sure the voices of women—often left out of migration history—are recorded.

My scholarly and professional experience in autonomous archiving and intersectional research guided effectively these publications, turning community stories into lasting records as information resources for future actions—for social impact on future research, publication, and political and daily narratives.

exhibitions

Migrant Women’s Memory Box

I curated two participatory exhibition projects with GKB-migrant women to reconfigure patriarchal stereotypes of ‘migrant’ and ‘woman,’ by opening the stage to migrant women to tell their own narratives—in the face of institutional and structural migration history in Germany:

ABC of the Federal Germany Migrant Women’s Association: A Female Dictionary: A community-built collection of entries reflecting on the association’s experiences in socio-political, economical and cultural domains. 
The World from a Female Perspective: A retrospective look at the association’s 12-year-long fighting for equal rights in Germany.  
My problem-solver embracing ALL within an intersectional feminist pedagogy approach enhanced these projects’ management into power-sharing by engaging more than 200 women in total—from different regions of the country.

explore the migrant women’s memory box project

What if goodreads were as colorful as the literature?

Redesigning the goodreads app with a “themes” option

In the realm of literature, the conventional association of reading with me-time, nature, and tranquility has often inspired designs featuring hues of green and beige and their calming tones. However, literature itself is a vibrant spectrum, from the texts within books to their colorful covers. For my inaugural individual UX/UI design project at the Iron Hack BootCamp, I’ve opted to redesign the well-known native mobile app goodreads. This case study unfolds the journey of the vibrant “pop mode” I envisioned for goodreads.

read the full case study

gradmindfull: Empower your academic journey with like-minded people

Discover a holistic approach to student wellness that fosters productivity, creativity, and self-care within a supportive community — all within a single, intuitive iOS app tailored exclusively for students.

In today’s fast-paced world, where physical and mental well-being have gained paramount importance, the need for wellness apps is more apparent than ever. While many such apps offer guidance on exercise, sleep, and mindfulness, there’s a distinct gap when it comes to catering to the unique challenges faced by students. Enter gradmindfull: the all-in-one solution designed to help students relax, feel empowered, and succeed in their academic journey alongside like-minded peers. This case study unravels the story of my varied roles throughout the product design process, which I undertook for my solo UX/UI design project at the Iron Hack BootCamp.

read the full case study

Rediscovering Tranquility: Crafting a Digital Façade for El molí de Can Aulet

Engaging with Nature in UX/UI Design for Rural Tourism

Nestled in the serene embrace of Montseny, El molí de Can Aulet unfolds a story of tranquility, offering rustic cabins that whisper tales of nature’s beauty. Join us on a journey through the digital realms, as we reimagine the Mill’s (El molí de Can Aulet) online façade to echo the essence of “enjoy nature” and redefine rural tourism. This is the case study of our second group project assigned at the Iron Hack, Berlin-UX/UI Design bootcamp.

read the full case study
socıal medıa engagement
view my portfolio as pdf
about me

resume*

2022/23 Mercator-IPC Fellow at Sabancı University, Istanbul Policy Center, Sept 2022 – Aug 2023

Researcher at DaMigra e.V. (the Umbrella Organization of Migrant Women’s Self-Organizations in Germany), May 2019 – Sep 2022

Coordinator and Curator (Freelancer) at the Historical Museum Frankfurt, June 2014 – May 2023

Business Development Projects (Digital Marketing) at Pera Museum, Istanbul, Jan 2010 – Feb 2012

PhD | IGK—Berlin-New York, Toronto—Center for Metropolitan Studies, TU-Berlin, DFG Doctoral Fellow § TU Compilation Fellow, May 2015 – Feb 2021

Visiting Scholar | City University of New York, CUNY, Digital Humanities, DFG Fellow, Sept – Dec 2016

M.A. | Koç University, Istanbul, Anatolian Civilizations and Cultural Heritage Management, Koç University Fellow, Sept 2007 – Jan 2010

B.A. | Galatasaray University, Istanbul, Sociology, Sept 2003 – June 2007

scholarships

Mercator Stiftung – Istanbul Policy Center, Sabancı University, Fellowship, September 2022-August 2023

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Doctoral Research Fellowship, May 2015-April 2018

Vehbi Koç Foundation, Koç University, Anatolian Civilizations and Cultural Heritage Management, M.A. Program, Full Fellowship, 2007-2009

European Commission, Erasmus Exchange Program Fellowship, Sept. 2005- Feb. 2006

grants

DA BIN ICH: Ehe-unabhängiger Aufenthaltstitel für von häuslicher Gewalt betroffenen Migrant:innen (HERE I AM: Residence Permit Independent from the Husband for Migrant Women Affected by the Domestic Violence), Workshop with the Federal German Migrant Women’s Association, Frauenreferat Frankfurt, October – November, 2022

CAMOC Annual Conference, Travel Grant, 2023

Technische Universität Berlin, Doctoral Research Completion Grant, May – October 2018

CUNY (City University of New York)—Visiting Scholar, DFG-TU Berlin-IGK, September – December 2016

CAMOC Annual Conference, Travel Grant, CAMOC, 2019

CAMOC Annual Conference, Travel Grant, DFG-TU Berlin-IGK, 2015

tools

  • Microsoft
  • Google Workspace
  • Slack
  • Canva
  • Figma
  • Notion
  • WordPRess
  • InDesign

soft skills

  • Digital culture passionate
  • User-centric critical
  • Solution-oriented
  • Intellectually curious
  • Thinking out of the box
  • Persistent

Language Skills

  • Turkish: Native
  • English: Mastery
  • German: Professional
  • French: Professional

memberships

Müzecilik Meslek Kuruluşu Derneği (the Museum Professionals Association in Turkey), MMKD, Co-Founder

ICOM (the International Council of Museums), Independent Member

CAMOC (the International Committee for the Collections and Activities of Museums of Cities) / ICOM, Independent Member

certificates

WordPress Installation

UX/UI Design

MuseumPlus Grundlagen

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