PLATFORM by GAPO
Topics
Visual storytelling, Photography networks, International collaboration, Artistic mentorship
Disciplines
Photography, Visual arts, Media arts, Curation
PLATFORM by GAPO is a photography network based in Istanbul that connects emerging and mid-career photographers from Turkey with international curators, publishers, and institutions. Founded in 2021 as a project of GAPO—an independent curatorial duo active since 2006—PLATFORM offers professional development through portfolio reviews, editorial mentorships, and tailored guidance for accessing international opportunities. With 22 affiliated photographers, the initiative supports artistic growth and fosters global collaboration. An upcoming online database will expand its reach, enabling deeper connections between Turkey’s photographic community and the wider cultural field.
Ankara, Bursa
Kuhaha
Kült Kavaklıdere, Kaos GL and Özgür Renkler are advancing LGBTI+ rights and cultural inclusion through advocacy, community support, and creative platforms.
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Ankara, Bursa
Kuhaha
vahahubs.org/hubs/kuhaha
Kuhaha is a joint initiative by Özgür Renkler, Kaos GL, and Kült Kavaklıdere, aiming to confront censorship and exclusion faced by LGBTI+ communities in Turkiye. Rooted in Ankara and Bursa, the hub provides a space where queer voices can be expressed and amplified through stand-up comedy, digital storytelling, and public events. Using humour as resistance and expression, Kuhaha highlights how censorship impacts everyday life and identity, not just speech. With stand-up workshops, performances, and a short documentary, the hub connects queer communities across cities, challenges social norms, and reclaims spaces where LGBTI+ voices are often silenced.
Berlin
Orta Okul
Orta Okul reclaims public space for radical, inclusive learning through mobile, community-driven cultural education.
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Berlin
Orta Okul
www.ortaokul.info/
Orta Okul is a nomadic, multilingual art education platform based in Berlin that promotes educational justice and collective cultural production. Functioning as a mobile classroom built from industrial pipes and mounted on a bike trailer, it transforms public space into a site for learning, exhibition, and dialogue. Programs are co-designed with local communities and grounded in their specific needs, experiences, and social contexts. Rejecting institutional norms, Orta Okul offers anti-hierarchical, accessible alternatives for those often excluded from traditional education systems—due to class, language, migration status, or disability. It merges radical pedagogy with public art, standing as both a structure and a statement of cultural resistance and empowerment.
TRANSNATIONAL EXCHANGE IDEA
Anlat Aşko v.02 brings together Turkish-speaking participants from Turkey and Germany to explore personal narratives through storytelling and visual arts. Building on its first phase, this transnational exchange combines workshops, staged readings, and visual media to create a safe, inclusive space for queer and migrant voices. Over the course of two months, participants will develop performances, photographs, drawings, and visual narratives under the guidance of guest artists. The outcomes will be showcased in Ankara, Bursa, and Berlin, published in a fanzine, and featured across Kaos GL’s print and online platforms. The exchange strengthens participants’ storytelling skills, enhances visibility for underrepresented communities, and fosters intercultural dialogue, offering a sustainable model for future artistic collaborations.Over two months of online workshops will bring together participants from Turkey and Germany, culminating in performances in Ankara, Bursa, and Berlin across multiple accessible formats. Participants will produce visual storytelling works—photographs, drawings, and curated visual narratives—featured in a fanzine, Kaos GL’s print and online magazines, and partner social media channels.
The initiative will strengthen participants’ skills in narrative and visual storytelling, amplify Turkish-speaking queer and migrant voices, and deepen intercultural dialogue between communities. It aims to create a safe and inclusive space for self-expression, fostering confidence and collaboration across borders. The process will also serve as a replicable model adaptable to other disciplines, supporting sustainability and future iterations.
Anlat Aşko v.02 is created in collaboration with Orta Okul and Kuhaha.
