Songül Karakoç & Tuçe Erel Artist Talk

SomoS is pleased to host an artist talk featuring Istanbul-based visual artist Songül Karakoç and Berlin-based curator and art writer Tuçe Erel. The evening will begin with the final presentation of Karakoç’s residency—the video Have a Seat (April–June 2025, Berlin)—followed by a conversation focusing on her current research and artistic process.
 

Have a Seat (April–June 2025, Berlin) investigates how individuals navigate spatial boundaries and negotiate presence in shared environments. Initiated through photographic encounters with informal urban public seating, the project has evolved into a video-based study of how individuals informally claim space within the urban environment. This final presentation traces the project's development during Karakoç's Berlin residency, drawing on field recordings, on-site research, and moments of spontaneous observation.
 

Working across photography, video, and performance, Karakoç examines how individuals navigate the boundaries of public and private space—moments where trust, communication, and a sense of belonging are quietly negotiated. Her observational approach, which combines intuitive responsiveness with visual precision, attends to the subtle gestures and spatial cues that shape everyday social interactions.

In conversation with Tuçe Erel, she will reflect on her time in Berlin, the development of her current project, and how her process engages with environment, presence, and lived experience.

About the Participants

Tuçe Erel

Tuçe Erel is a Berlin-based curator, art writer, and researcher whose work explores archiving practices, ecological thinking, and posthuman theory. Trained in sociology and curatorial studies (METU, Anadolu University, Birkbeck College), she integrates critical inquiry with experimental formats. Erel has realized exhibitions and discursive programs at institutions including Art Laboratory Berlin, TOP e.V. (Berlin), 1a Space (Hong Kong), Arte Sanat (Ankara), Schneidertempel (Istanbul), The Museum of Islamic Art and Near Eastern Cultures in Be’er Sheva (Israel) and D21 Leipzig, and previously held editorial and curatorial positions in Istanbul.
 

Songül Karakoç

Songül Karakoç is a visual artist based in Istanbul working across photography, video, and performance. Her research-led approach explores interpersonal dynamics, trust, and belonging as they surface in everyday settings. With a background in mathematics and graphic design, Karakoç combines analytical precision with an intuitive sensibility. Her process relies on close observation, associative thinking, and a sensitivity to unguarded human moments—those small ruptures in routine that reveal deeper truths.
 

Details 

Artist Talk: Songül Karakoç & Tuçe Erel 

June 21, 2025, 7 – 9 p.m. 

Entry is, as always, free 

SomoS, Kottbusser Damm 95 1.OG, Berlin 

Public transport: U8 Schönleinstrasse