Conversation with Hatice Güleryüz, Istanbul, 2005

In this conversation, Hatice Güleryüz reflects on her recent work Strange Intimacies, presented at the Istanbul Biennale (2005) and informed by her experiences of living abroad for 14 years: “I want to know how people who come from other countries [view Türkiye]… what kind of experience, what kind of projection, what kind of idea they have about Türkiye” she explains.

Her project involved not only interviews but also immersive visits—staying in people’s homes and engaging with their domestic lives. These exchanges, she notes, often began with light topics like relationships but gradually deepened into more vulnerable reflections on culture, displacement, and identity. This material informed a book and video project in which she merged personal narratives, images, and her own perceptions to challenge fixed ideas of nationality and belonging. Reflecting on her return to Istanbul, she observes changes in the city’s cultural atmosphere, including greater internationalism and a more open discussion of gender and sexuality.

Güleryüz addresses gender, emotion, and professionalism in her artistic practice. While she avoids overtly labeling herself a feminist, she critiques the expectation that women must constantly prove themselves in male-dominated systems: “If we […] just do something good, we don’t have to prove ourselves. Not to men. Not to society.” She rejects the commodification of the human body that occurs in media images, alienating people from themselves and from other bodies.

She describes one of her more controversial projects, a film made in collaboration with the Turkish police. Though initially denied access, she eventually persuaded officers to perform for the camera. The resulting film, layered with sexual and authoritarian symbolism, critiques institutional power and the gaze, portraying the male body as both object and subject of control.

Güleryüz emphasizes the importance of authenticity, emotional intuition, and individuality in artmaking: “It’s not just about being professional. You need to listen to feelings, to intuition… that’s where the real work begins.” She argues that these qualities are often dismissed as irrational, especially in academic or institutional settings.

Her vision is of art as a layered, open-ended narrative that connects real stories across cultures and generations. “I just want to make the link between the reader and the story.”