The Immigrant Artists Looking at Istanbul

Pera Museum hosts an interdisciplinary performance that brings documentary theater, sound installation, visual arts and live music within the scope of the Istanbuls Today exhibition, together. The premiere of the performance “Dialogue Project – Istanbul” will take place on Thursday, March 16th at Pera Café at 7.00 pm featuring the four immigrant artists, currently living in Istanbul.

The Suna and Inan Kıraç Foundation Pera Museum will host the premiere of the performance “Dialogue Project – Istanbul” within the framework of migration theme addressed by the current Istanbuls Today exhibition that can be visited at the museum.

Dialogue Project, brings together immigrant artists who are trying to become part of the creative industries in cosmopolitan cities in Europe, such as Istanbul, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels and Vienna.

Autobiographical narratives in 7 languages
The artists, Enzo Ikah (Democratic Republic of Congo), Marina Nazarova (Ukraine), Saghar Daeri and Ali Bonyadi (Iran) taking part in the ”Dialogue Project – Istanbul" will share their observations and experiences in Istanbul via the performances at Pera Museum.

The performance divided into sections titled as "Intro", "Journey" and "Home / Another World” will be  narrated in 7 different languages; Turkish, English, Farsi, Ukranian, Russian, Lingala, and French.

The project, which has an interdisciplinary feature in itself, aims to contribute to strengthening the connection of migrant and refugee groups with the society, through the use of sound installations, visual arts and live music and with its unifying, inclusive and diversity-oriented discourse.

The premiere on March 16th will be held at Pera Café at 7.00 pm both in English and Turkish surtitles and will be broadcast live on Pera Museum’s website.

DIALOGUE PROJECT - ISTANBUL

Producer and Director: Burak Safa Calis (Germany - Berlin)
Producer and Sound Design: Kıvanç Sarıkuş (the Netherlands - Rotterdam)
Supervisor: Bengü Gün (Türkiye - Istanbul)
Storytellers: Saghar Daeri (Iran - Tehran), Enzo İkah (Democratic Republic of Congo), Marina Nazarova (Ukraine - Mykolaiv), Ali Bonyadi (Iran - Manjil)
Cinematography – Live Stream: Mert Coşar (Türkiye - Istanbul) , Cem Celal Bilge (Türkiye - Istanbul)
Stage Design – Poster:  Oliviera Prins (the Netherlands - Rotterdam)
Project Assistant: A. Can Güngör (Türkiye - Istanbul)

Tickets can be obtained from Biletix or from the reception of the Pera Museum on the day of the event. 50% discount  applied to the Friends of Pera Museum. Places are limited and unnumbered. The performance requires the participation of spectators aged 7 and older. The performance will be broadcast live on Pera Museum’s website. The duration of the performance is about 1 hour.

About the Dialogue Project - Istanbul
The Dialogue Project unites émigré professional artists who aspire to be a part of the creative industry in cosmopolitan cities with high migration rates. Making stops in major European cities such as Istanbul, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Vienna, the project promotes a sense of community with the participation of émigré artists.

As part of the Dialogue Project - Istanbul, émigré artists from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds gather under the same roof to share their autobiographical stories with the audience. Hosting the performance, Istanbul takes a leading role in the Dialogue Project, which combines documentary theatre, a rare form of performing arts, with contemporary theatre, by serving as a platform that allows an aesthetically and fictionally rich experience to take place. Émigré artists use sound installations, visual arts, and live music in this interdisciplinary performance to create an illusion of dialogue, sharing their autobiographical stories, observations, and experiences about Istanbul during their time in the city. The stories are presented to the audience in three parts: "Intro," "Journey," and "Home / Another World.” The Dialogue Project aims to empower a discourse of inclusion, diversity, and unity. It also seeks to strengthen the bonds between immigrant and refugee groups and the wider society and to promote dialogue and interaction among them, as its name implies.