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OPEN CALL #6 PROJECT #207
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE TIGRIS: CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL REMINISCENCES

“In the Footsteps of the Tigris: Cultural and Ecological Reminicences” Exhibition Opens in Diyarbakır

Focusing on the multi-layered memory of the Tigris River, its ecological transformations and cultural continuities, the exhibition “In the Footsteps of the Tigris: Cultural and Ecological Memories” will be on display at the Cemilpaşa Mansion Diyarbakır City Museum from 29 March to 12 April.

For thousands of years, the Tigris River has been one of the lifelines of Mesopotamia, creating a shared culture of life by connecting communities, languages, species and modes of production. However, over the past 50 years, development policies focused on controlling water, accelerating urbanisation and security-driven interventions have profoundly transformed this ancient ecosystem and the practices of coexistence.

The exhibition “In the Footsteps of the Tigris: Cultural and Ecological Memories”, born out of the research conducted by Dilan Kaya Taşdelen and Gizem Kıygı in Diyarbakır, shares the experiences of two female researchers who view the river from both within and without. The exhibition focuses on current and critical issues such as access to water, spatial justice, environmental destruction and cultural continuity.

The exhibition is based on a 15-day field journey undertaken in October 2025 along the Tigris River basin, stretching between Elazığ, Diyarbakır, Batman and Cizre. The physical, cultural and ecological experiences documented during this journey, alongside the plants collected, sounds recorded, images captured and the narratives of the communities encountered, coalesce into a multi-layered narrative. Furthermore, spatial interventions within the basin and their reflections in the media are also key components of the exhibition.

While the exhibition aims to make visible the evolving relationships between human and non-human life forms in the Tigris Basin, it also draws attention to the effects of slow and direct forms of violence on ecosystems and communities.

“In the Footsteps of the Tigris: Cultural and Ecological Remembrances” positions the viewer not merely as an observer, but as a participant who experiences the river basin through different senses and experiences. In this respect, the exhibition aims to create space for multi-layered and collective practices of remembrance.

The exhibition is being realised with the main financial support of the European Union under the CultureCIVIC, and with contributions from Sivil Düşün and Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality.

This page is published on 24 March 2026.