Conversation with CANAN, Istanbul, 2005

CANAN introduces herself and her video installation focused on surveillance and torture of a woman detained in a police station for performing a Kurdish dance. The work was inspired by letters the woman had sent to a journalist. CANAN used a dual-projection format to simulate the oppressive feeling of a police interrogation, rather than creating a typical, static interview. She explains her Video Portrait series, each featuring a woman as a central figure, captured through video and still photography to reflect individual stories.

One of her public works relating to pregnancy, …finally you are in me (2000) faced censorship after complaints due to perceived sexual connotations. CANAN reflects on how Turkish society reacts with shame and denial to public discourse about bodies, sexuality, and motherhood. “When I started to make art, I didn’t call myself a feminist… But, I am a woman and I had a lot of problems… and there are a lot of rules… religious rules, government rules… So I was getting to understand what’s happening. And I call the personal political. Because I didn’t choose this kind of life.”

CANAN’s work targets taboo subjects like domestic violence and incest. A photo series depicting family violence sparked controversy, especially a photo implying incest, which led to backlash—not for depictions of general abuse but because of cultural denial and discomfort around sexual violence within families. She shares a disturbing incident in Germany where police came at night to her home and forced her to censor an exhibition containing nude dolls, which they labeled pornographic. She explains that the work was also “about incest because it’s really common and nobody wants to talk about it.”

Her work frequently exposes hypocrisy and hidden violence in domestic settings and calls out societal double standards. Despite being Kurdish and a woman artist—identities she says bring multiple layers of discrimination—she stresses that gender inequality is global, not just limited to Türkiye. Also in Germany, she observed similar systemic issues. “They believe that they are equal… but they cannot earn as much money as men.”

CANAN points out that changes in women’s rights are inconsistent across Türkiye, with traditional norms still deeply entrenched. Urban areas may show progress, but violence against women persists everywhere, often ignored unless sensationalized. She underscores the need for collective action, solidarity, new strategies, and deeper cross-border communication among women.