MIS(S)PLACED WOMEN? Exhibition @Depo Istanbul

Tanja Ostojić

MIS(S)PLACED WOMEN?

2009–2022

A Collaborative Art Project

Exhibition at Depo Istanbul: 15 September – 28 October 2022

Mis(s)placed Women? Community Gathering: September 15–22

Live Events: September 20–22

Curated by: Arzu Yayıntaş and Tanja Ostojić 

Depo Istanbul presents Mis(s)placed Women? by Tanja Ostojić, an exhibition that reflects upon a collaborative art project initiated by the artist in 2009. Consisting of performances, workshops, and an online platform, Mis(s)placed Women? includes contributions by over 170 individuals from six continents – Individuals who largely identify as women from diverse backgrounds. 

“Holding the ‘Mis(s)placed Women?’/’Misplaced Wymyn‘/’Misplaced Human’ Sign”, performed by Sabbi Senior and Vanessa Ponte at Kadıköy Port, Mis(s)placed Women? workshop, Istanbul, (2021). Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz. Copyright: Tanja Ostojić.

The project’s participants embody and enact some of everyday life’s activities that thematise displacement, and deal with issues of migration, gender equality, climate change, feminism, queerness, gentrification, inclusion, accessibility, power relations, and vulnerability, particularly as it relates to female and transgender bodies. While investigating privilege by distinguishing between working mobility, forced or desired migration, and how arbitrary laws apply to moving bodies, Mis(s)placed Women? also explores diverse public spaces and the invisibility of certain groups within them, using feminist emancipatory methodologies and artistic and community-building practices. 

From the rich project archive, some of the most relevant contributions were selected by Arzu Yayıntaş and Tanja Ostojić to be displayed at Depo, as a two-floor multimedia installation consisting of photos, videos, and performance scores, along with signs, textile works, drawings of performances, artefacts, stories, and maps collected globally in the thirteen years of the project’s development. A part of the exhibition space has been arranged as a gathering place that invites the visitor to be an explorer and participant rather than just a viewer, while the six performance scores are there to be readapted and tried out. Exhibition reader in English and in Turkish, edited by Ostojić, can be collected in the venue and is as well available as a free download PDF.

Depo’s distinguished political profile and engagement with civil society makes it an ideal venue to host this socially engaged project interested in interweaving artistic and activist practices. The exhibition is a collateral event of the 17th Istanbul Biennial. 

Exhibition Contributors: Teresa Albor, Nela Antonović, Gaby Bila-Günther aka LADY GABY, Dagmara Bilon, Mia Bradić, Ines Borovac, Tatiana Bogaceva, Amy Bryzgel, David Caines, Nati Canto, Paula Chambers, Hiuwai Chan, Anaïs Clercx, Azad Colemêrg, Camilla Conocchi, contactzone, Luciana Damiani, Jelena Dinić, Nazlı Durak, Kathryn Fischer aka Mad Kate, Dyana Gravina, Karen Kipphoff, Li Fu, Hieu Hanh Hoang Tran aka Hany Tea, Selma Hekim, Monika Janulevičiūtė, Elena Marchevska, Valentina Medda, Susan Merrick, Ashley McNaughton, Branko Milisković, Persefoni Myrtsou, Marta Nitecka Barche, Mahlet Ogbe Habte, Tanja Ostojić, Sigrid Pawelke, Vanessa Ponte, Darija S. Radaković, Rhea Ramjohn, Alejandra Robles Sosa, Bahar Seki, Sabbi Senior, Evdoxia Stafylaraki, Suncica Sido, Tan Tan, Mare Tralla, Tanya Ury, Katja Vaghi, Bojana Videkanić, Roberta Weissman Nagy, Anastasio William, Hyla Willis, Jiachen Xu, Arzu Yayıntaş, Gülhatun Yıldırım, Gizem Yılmaz aka Epifani, and Suzy van Zehlendorf, among others.

Mis(s)placed Women? workshop, Istanbul, a collective performance in a tea house, Mis Street (2021), with the  participation of: Arzu Yayıntaş, Bahar Seki, Gülhatun Yıldırım, Gizem Yılmaz, Nazlı Durak, Persefoni Myrtsou, Vanessa Ponte, Sabbi Senior, Selma Hekim and Tanja Ostojić. Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz. Copyright: Tanja Ostojić.

A sixty-eight minute documentary will also be on display at Depo, which follows the collective and individual performances and reflections of the participants in the “Mis(s)placed Women?” workshop which was realised (in collaboration with Performistanbul and Tarabya Cultural Academy) in Istanbul in September 2021. The workshop uses the principles of Art as Social Practice that both explores a variety of public spaces and the possibilities for temporary interventions within them, and empowers participants via a Master-class-like block seminar, a laboratory outside of an official educational institution. 

As part of the exhibition, a public programme consisting of live discussions, performances, and an international community gathering of Mis(s)placed Women? participants will take place September 20-22, 2022 at Depo and across the city of Istanbul. 

• September 15, 6pm – Exhibition opening at Depo
• Tuesday, September 20, 5pm – Guided tour with Tanja Ostojić in English
• September 20, 6:30pm– Artist talks and Q&A with Tanja Ostojić, Arzu Yayıntaş, and the live events participants
• Wednesday, September 21, 5-7pm Public performances at Depo
• Thursday, September 22 outdoor performances across the city 11am-4pm. Meeting point Galta Square 11am 
• Saturday, October 15, 4pm, Guided Tour with Arzu Yayıntaş in Turkish
• Friday, October 21, 6pm, Guided Tour with Arzu Yayıntaş in Turkish
• Last day of the exhibition Friday, October 28, 2022.

Live events with the participation of: Gaby Bila-Gunther aka LADY GABY, Dagmara Bilon, Selma Hekim, Kathryn Fischer aka Mad Kate, Susan Merrick, Tanja Ostojić, Vanessa Ponte, Hieu Hanh Hoang Tran aka Hany Tea, Arzu Yayıntaş, Gülhatun Yıldırım, Gizem Yılmaz and Mürüvvet Türkyılmaz, among others.

For further information please visit:

Depo, Istanbul

Mis(s)placed Women? project blog

Misplaced Women? Video channel 

Direct link to download the reader as PDF in English

TANJA OSTOJIĆ: Mis(s)placed Women? 2009-2022, A Collaborative Art Project, Reader in ENG

Direct link to download the reader as PDF in Turkish

TANJA OSTOJIĆ: Mis(s)placed Women? 2009-2022 Katılımcı Bir Sanat Projesi, reader TR

Realised with the support of:

ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Alumni-Fonds of the Tarabya Cultural Academy, FfAI – Foundation for Arts Initiatives, Depo Istanbul, Anadolukultur, Mis(s)placed Women? community, Performistanbul, Stiftung Kunstfonds and NEUSTART KULTUR.

Depo’s announcement

Tanja Ostojić – Mis(s)placed Women? (2009-2022)

Tanja Ostojić – Mis(s)placed Women? (2009-2022)

Tarabya Cultural Academy’s announcement

SEEcult.org’s announcement

Extensive project review by Tan Tan in Chinese

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“MIS(S)PLACED WOMEN?” exhibition @Gandy gallery

We are pleased to announce the online exhibition of the “MIS(S)PLACED WOMEN?” project @Gandy gallery, Bratislava, with photos of performances by Dagmara Bilon and Tanja Ostojić

http://www.gandy-gallery.com/exhibitions/missplaced-women/

Duration: Summer 2022

Dagmara Bilon: “Misplaced Women?”, 2017, 60 minutes performance, Refugee awareness week, Pimlico, London. Photo: Rachel Cherry.

LINKS to the related performances:

Tanja OSTOJIĆ: Score #1: Unpacking a Bag of Your Own, 2009
Tanja OSTOJIĆ: Score #2: Holding the Misplaced Women? Sign, 2012
Dagmara Bilon:  Score #3: Becoming One With a Bag, 2021  
Dagmara Bilon realised 3 performances on gentrification, home and identity in the frame of “Misplaced Women?” workshop hosted by LADA London, December 2016

Teresa Albor’s and Dagmara Bilon’s continuous collaboration, 2019

Tanja OSTOJIĆ: Bergen International Airport, November 8, 2011

Tanja OSTOJIĆ: Misplaced Women? @ Art-In-Public-Space Tyrol, Innsbruck, 2018 

Dagmara Bilon: homepage 

Gandy Gallery Bratislava

This is a Public Announcement and the Open Call for the Mis(s)placed Women? International Community & Project Participants (2009-2022)

Dear Mis(s)placed Women? Community, 

Please save a date and let us know if you can join us in September in Istanbul for the:

Mis(s)placed Women? Exhibition at DEPO: September 15 — October 30, 2022

Mis(s)placed Women? Live Events: September 20–22, 2022 

Mis(s)placed Women? International Community Gathering: September 15 —22, 2022.

Mis(s)placed Women? workshop, Istanbul, a collective performance in a tea house, Mis Street (2021), with the  participation of: Persefoni Myrtsou, Arzu Yayıntaş, Bahar Seki, Gülhatun Yıldırım, Gizem Yılmaz, Nazlı Durak, Vanessa Ponte, Sabbi Senior, Selma Hekim and Tanja Ostojić. Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz. Copyright: Tanja Ostojić.

Mis(s)placed Women? is a collaborative art project that I started in 2009, consisting of performances, workshops and an online platform, including contributions by over 170 individuals from six continents—individuals who largely identify as women from diverse backgrounds. Within this project we embody and enact some of everyday-life’s activities that thematise displacement, dealing with migration issues, gender democracy, feminism, gentrification, inclusion, power relations, and vulnerability, particularly concerning female and transgender bodies—aspects that figured prominently in the past almost three decades of my art practice. On one hand, we are investigating privilege by making a distinction between working mobility, forced or desired migration, and how arbitrary laws may apply, and on the other hand, we are exploring diverse public spaces and the invisibility of certain groups within them, using feminist emancipatory methodologies of artistic and community-building practices. 

Mis(s)placed Women? workshops use principles of Art as Social Practice that both explore a variety of public spaces and the possibilities for temporary interventions in them, and empower participants in a creative laboratory that develops and produces new collective and individual works. The processes that unfold within the workshops are precious, as are the moments of communication with the passers-by that we meet on the streets and the audience members in the venues where exhibitions and discussions take place.

This upcoming Mis(s)placed Women?  Exhibition on 410 sqm in DEPO, one of the most relevant political cultural venues in the region, is an opportunity to reflect upon this long-term project together with artists and diverse social groups, particularly the feminist and queer scene in Istanbul, and to get more visibility for the project thanks to the Istanbul Biennale as its accompanying event. 

From the rich project Archive, some of the most relevant contributions touching upon topics of accessibility, feminism, queerness, and displacement will be selected and displayed in a two floor multimedia installation consisting of photos, videos, and drawings of performances, along with signs, textile works, artefacts, performance scores, stories, and maps collected globally in the 13 years of the project’s development.

During the performance weekend, with guided tours and roundtables, some of the most active, local and international members of the Mis(s)placed Women? community will have the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and perform together. Therefor we are inviting everyone with whom we collaborated successfully in the past to attend, as this is a great opportunity for us to get in touch with each other and the vibrant art scene in Istanbul. 

(Tanja Ostojić)

“Score #2: Holding the ‘Mis(s)placed Women?’ Sign”, performed by Sabbi Senior, Vanessa Ponte, Persefoni Myrtsou, and Gülhatun Yıldırım at Kadıköy Port, Mis(s)placed Women? workshop, Istanbul, (2021). Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz. Copyright: Tanja Ostojić.

Mis(s)placed Women? Exhibition at DEPO, Istanbul, September 15 — October 30, 2022

Curated by: Arzu Yayıntaş and Tanja Ostojić

With the participation of: Teresa Albor, Gaby Bila-Günther aka LADY GABY, Dagmara Bilon, Mia Bradić, David Caines, Nati Canto, Hiuwai Chan, Azad Colemêrg, Luciana Damiani, Nazlı Durak, Kathryn Fischer aka Mad Kate, Li Fu, Hieu Hanh Hoang Tran, Selma Hekim, Monika Janulevičiūtė, Susan Merrick, Branko Milisković, Persefoni Myrtsou, Marta Nitecka Barche, Tanja Ostojić, Vanessa Ponte, Rhea Ramjohn, Alejandra Robles Sosa, Bahar Seki, Sabbi Senior, Evdoxia Stafylaraki, Tan Tan, Tanya Ury, Katja Vaghi, Hyla Willis, Arzu Yayıntaş, Gülhatun Yıldırım and Gizem Yılmaz, among others.

Live Events at DEPO and across the city of Istanbul: September 20–22, 2022

With the participation of: Gaby Bila-Günther aka LADY GABY, Dagmara Bilon, Nazlı Durak, Kathryn Fischer aka Mad Kate, Hieu Hanh Hoang Tran, Selma Hekim, Persefoni Myrtsou, Tanja Ostojić, Vanessa Ponte, Arzu Yayıntaş, Gülhatun Yıldırım and Gizem Yılmaz, among others.

Please let us know if you would like to come to Istanbul from September 15-22, 2022 to the Mis(s)placed Women? Exhibition at DEPO, International Community Gathering, and the live events. In case you think you could apply for funding (to cover your travel, accommodation, and further costs) where you are based, please let us know, so we can provide for you an official invitation letter and related information. Let us know if you are coming and how you envision your participation. 

Mis(s)placed Women? workshop, Istanbul: Persefoni Myrtsou, Ayda Bayram, Azra İşmen, Simge Burhanoğlu, Arzu Yayıntaş, Nazlı Durak, Selma Hekim, Tanja Ostojić, Gülhatun Yıldırım, Sabbi Senior, Vanessa Ponte, Gizem Yılmaz, September 2021. Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz. Copyright: Tanja Ostojić.

In case your performance-video or related text are not yet included in the Misplaced Women? Video channel and/or on the project blog, and if you would like them to be part of the Project Archive and future exhibitions, please send your contributions at your earliest convenience. 

If you would like to be part of the Mis(s)placed Women? Mailing List, please let us know.

Please write to: TanjaOstojicArt (AT) gmail.com

Subject:  Mis(s)placed Women? Community gathering Istanbul, or Mis(s)placed Women? Archive/Video Channel/Mailing List

Realisation in collaboration with wonderful local and international team working on the project’s implementation, including: Marina Papazyan, project coordinator at DEPO, Aya Labanieh, editorial assistant of the exhibition reader and english editor, Performistanbul and many others. 

With the support of: MIS(S)PLACED WOMEN? COMMUNITY, Anadolu Kultur, DEPO Istanbul, Alumni-Fonds of the Cultural Academy Tarabya, IFA, Stiftung Kunstfonds, and NEUSTART KULTUR.