Saye'nizde

A Tribute to the Women of the Republic “Saye” means “shadow” yet in Turkish, to say saye’nizde is to say “thanks to you,” “under your protection,” “on the path you opened.” Carrying this layered meaning, the interactive installation “Saye'nizde” was created to honor the pioneering women of the Turkish Republic, to express gratitude for their remarkable contributions, and to carry their legacy forward. It is not only a gesture of remembrance, but a spark for the future. Today’s women of the Republic continue to draw inspiration from those who illuminated the path toward a more just, equal, and free society.

As visitors enter the installation, they encounter a video work displayed between translucent curtains: a growing archival constellation of the women of the Republic, shown together, their images expanding into a living collection. Like stars brightening the sky, each figure shines with her own story. Within this subtly separated space where sheer curtains carve out a new temporal dimension visitors wander among the glowing stars on digital screens, discovering the lives and achievements of these trailblazing women. Every star represents a milestone, a triumph in a different field of endeavor.

The true sense of wonder begins as visitors gently part the curtains and step into the mirrored chamber extending into infinity. Their movement activates sensors, allowing them to interact with the archival photographs. Integrated with interactive technology, the images evoke a powerful sense of remembrance, reflecting the struggles and accomplishments of women across the Republic’s history. Echoing endlessly in the reflective surfaces, these visuals embody the idea that women’s impact on the Republic is an unending journey—ever expanding, ever resonant. In meeting their own reflection within the installation, each visitor becomes part of these stories, merging with them in spatial form, and joining the timeless idea that has touched and inspired so many lives.

Expanding across both space and time, the sound installation was composed by Hazal Döleneken for the 100th anniversary of the Republic. Inspired by the voices of women composers and musicians throughout the Republic’s cultural history, this innovative interactive composition weaves together harp, piano, glass harmonica, digital and electroacoustic instruments with archival recordings. Among these are the voices of celebrated artists such as İdil Biret, Ferhunde Erkin, and Meriç Dönük, as well as sounds from historic machinery. Through synthesis and transformation, these recordings are reimagined—merging the sounds of today and tomorrow with those of the Republic’s past.

The visual archival work was developed in collaboration with the Women’s Library and Information Center Foundation. Many of the portraits were contributed by the women themselves or by family members preserving their legacy. Representing those who fought under challenging circumstances to leave a brighter country for future generations, this visual archive is dedicated to all the women who carried the Turkish Republic into the present. Inspired by the 100th anniversary of our Republic, this work encourages every visitor to believe in their own potential and to recognize the boundless power they hold to change the world—guided, always, by the pioneering women of the Republic who light the way.

Curator: Bengü Gün
Experience Design & Producer: DECOL Media Arts Studio
Creative Director: Ahmet Said Kaplan
Music Director, Sound Design & Music: Hazal Döleneken
Production Design & Management: Nebi Cihan Çankaya
Project & Research Management: Zeynep Yavuzcezzar
Concept: Ahmet Said Kaplan, Pelin Erman, Nebi Cihan Çankaya, Ece Altın
Creative Coding: Ahmet Said Kaplan & Itaru Yasuda
Motion Graphics: Ece Altın, Pelin Erman, Uğur Özdemir
Architectural Design: Özge Tunalı
Data Analysis:Ece Altın
Installation & Sound Management: Sergen Tertemiz
Installation Management Assistant: Altay Talay
Construction Solutions: Emre Gürsoy Creative Coding Assistant:Tahsin Enes Kuru
Researcher: İdil Çelik
Digital Archive: Women’s Library and Information Center Foundation; Zehra Toska Archive; Süreyya Ağaoğlu Archive; Hasene Ilgaz Archive; Zerrin Bölükbaşı Archive; Müfide İlhan Archive; Tennur Koyuncuoğlu Archive; Muazzez İlmiye Çığ Archive; Necile Tevfik Archive; Safiye Hüseyin Elbi Archive; Women Artists Collection; Women’s Organizations Collection; Visual Collection; Filiz Kutlar
Sound Archive:Franz Liszt, Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, Piano Arrangement, Movement I: Allegro con brio. Piano: İdil Biret. Best of Beethoven, IBA, 2020 Meriç Dönük, Improvisation for My Lost Ones, 2023 Ulvi Cemal Erkin, Impressions Series, No. 2 “Little Shepherd,” Andante, 1937. Piano: Ferhunde Erkin, 1947 Legal Consultants:Ali Durmuş Cevlan & Melda Şener