Subversion through Art: BounSergi Collective

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Art can be an evocative force in resisting authoritarianism – history is full of examples of how powerful art has held up a mirror to society in holding power accountable. A powerful example of using art to keep authoritarian power in check comes from Turkey, spearheaded and nurtured by The BounSergi Collective in Turkey.   

Comprising a group of queer folk, the collective emerged when safe spaces to mobilize and engage as collectives were threatened under authoritarian rule in Turkey. By creating art and displaying them in exhibitions, the BounSergi Collective emphasizes and commits itself to collective work for change.

Starting out

The Justice and Development Party (or AKP) has been in power in Turkey for 23 years, at the time of writing. In more recent years, the party’s ideologies have steadily demonstrated fascist inclinations, as it has been governing Turkey with an authoritarian neoliberalism that oppresses people and violates human rights. By blending neoliberalism with populist, religious rhetoric specific to conservative sections of Turkish society, the regime targets anyone who does not align with the dominant political views of those in power. This has implied a brutal crackdown on civil rights, and the active bullying and targeting of minority groups through state apparatuses.   

Amidst rapidly shrinking spaces for civil society engagement and mobilization, the Boğaziçi University remains one of the last few sites that remain safe for communities to come together. In a bid to control the space, in January 2021, the government bypassed university elections and appointed an external rector to the university with the goal of making a profit and “stirring up a storm.” A university that prided itself on being a site for art to thrive was now being imposed with a frame that restricted their vibrancy.

 Resisting this imposition, the Boğaziçi Resistance emerged, and endured as one of the longest non-violent protests and solidarity movements in Turkey to come to bear after the Occupy Gezi Protests in 2013. This was underpinned by a general view that free thought and critiques are a threat to the government, buttressed by a series of oppressive policies to cultivate a climate of fear and silence.

Resisting with Art, Resisting with Pride

Stepping up to question the imposition, resistance was steered by queer people, who carried rainbow flags as they were proudly visible, asserting and celebrating their existence in the face of a system that made no place for them. In response, the external rector closed down the LGBTQIA+ club and the Sexual Harassment Prevention Coordination, effectively taking steps to threaten the safety of vulnerable groups on campus.

The riot police were brought in, and surrounded the South Campus of the university. This also included a deployment of snipers. With time, the school became a site of active violence and fighting. In this environment, the BounSergi Collective emerged, using art as a form of resistance to strike at the authoritarian regime by challenging its value system. Their name combines BOUN (from Boğaziçi University) with Sergi, which means “exhibition” in Turkish. 

The group curated its first exhibition with 400 artworks from 150 artists across the world. The second exhibition had 300 more pieces of artwork come in from all over the world. Both these exhibitions assembled thought-provoking works that facilitated solidarity across multiple lines: Geopolitical borders, genders, different backgrounds, and artistic disciplines. Every piece of art that was sent in was exhibited – no piece of work was turned away, making place for every show of solidarity to be accommodated.  

The first exhibition lasted three days, and became a site for protest. Punk and rock concerts, choir performances, raves, stand-up comedy performances, games, and open lectures filled the days with activist fervour. The police blockaded the front gates of the university campus, but the activists on ground remained undaunted. They dressed up for the resistance, raised the volume on their speakers, and kept up their activism. The focus on colour was deliberate: Shining brightly, to the movement, was essential to mark the stark contrast with the police forces that stood in carceral shades of metal and grey. The music was a direct answer to militarized sounds that represent carceral control.

 On the last day of the exhibition, four activists from the BounSergi Collective were arrested on trumped up charges of inciting hatred. However, this did not break the resistance – instead, it strengthened it. The most confrontational phase in the resistance began, and public support for the resistance grew. The second exhibition was organized after the arrested activists were released. This one was aptly named 216/1, after the legal provision under which the activists were prosecuted. To avoid police brutality, the exhibition was hosted on the terrace of an apartment, in public parks, and protest areas. Pop-up exhibitions in public parks were organized. An online component was also put together, to bring together artworks from other parts of the world as well.

While members of the collective have moved out, the group that moved to Berlin continues to keep the resistance alive through pop-up art exhibitions.

Subversion through Art

Art has always been a steadfast tool in resistance against authoritarianism and human rights violations. A tool that tells truths, however discomforting, art is an edifice that keeps vigil in the face of erasure. It is also a powerful means of getting key messages across wider cross-sections, and travels well with activist ideologies. It builds solidarities across lines constructed by the militarized state, within and beyond its boundaries, and creates a powerful stage for collective work. The BounSergi Collective’s approach to subversion of systemic power prioritizes collective engagement, asserting their identities and collective power, and holding the system accountable for its policies and their adverse impacts.

 References:

Beyond Molotovs - A Visual Handbook of Anti-Authoritarian Strategies

O'Brien, E. (2021). How a Campus Protest Galvanized the Turkish Opposition . https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/article/804483/summary

Art, Body, and Resistance. https://gocebedusunce.org/en/news/art-body-and-resistance