Conversation with Hale Tenger, Istanbul, 2005

Hale Tenger introduces herself as a Turkish artist exhibiting internationally since 1990 at the São Paulo and Istanbul Biennials, among other venues. Her work spans various mediums, including installations, video, and mixed media, depending on the themes she explores. Tenger notes the absence of a strong feminist movement in Turkish art but highlights the growing presence of women artists today, unlike past male-dominated generations. She jokingly speculates that their prominence may be a form of “revenge” against historical oppression, adding, “They have more to say because the conditions of their existence… must have something to do with being a woman.”

Addressing politics, Tenger discusses the underrepresentation of women in Turkish government despite early voting rights. While quotas are debated, male dominance persists, making political engagement difficult. Although recent reforms exist, societal impact remains slow. The conversation expands to Turkey’s history of democratic interruptions and the marginalization of various groups. She acknowledges the gradual loosening of restrictions on discussing Kurdish identity and culture but stresses that political oppression affects many across the country.

Tenger also discusses Decent Deathwatch: Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1993, an installation featuring audio interviews with Bosnian refugees and visual documentation of war atrocities. Using jars to symbolize lives suspended in time, she references a scientific study on human migration to emphasize shared origins and the futility of ethnic conflict.

She shares examples from her 4th Istanbul Biennial (1995) work, We didn’t go outside, We were always on the outside, We didn’t go inside, We were always on the inside, 1995-2015. Inspired by a Turkish poet’s quote, she recontextualizes it to reflect restrictions on freedom of speech: “If there is no freedom… it doesn’t make much difference (to be) inside or outside.” The installation featured a small hut enclosed by barbed wire, with a nostalgic interior filled with calendar images and Turkish music.

She links this work to her controversial 1992 Biennial piece, I Know People Like This, whose use of tourist souvenirs and “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” monkeys triggered a court case over alleged insults to national symbols. She narrowly avoided prison by framing it as a global critique of women’s oppression.

The discussion shifts to Western perceptions of Turkey, noting how tourists form biased views. Tenger highlights rising religious conservatism and emphasizes that the meaning of the veil varies by location and context but ultimately raises gender equality concerns—“Why should one cover up and the other not?”