‘Tussen Tompouce en Baklava’: Shifting architecture of migration

The exhibition “Tussen Tompouce en Baklava,” held at the Van Eesteren Museum in Amsterdam, brought art lovers together to mark the 60th anniversary of the migration agreement between Türkiye and the Netherlands. The exhibition opened in July and ran through mid-September. The exhibition, which drew attention with Emin Batman’s installation of an upside-down minaret, titled “Rüya” (“Dream”), also sparked debate.

When I had the opportunity to chat with Emin Batman in Istanbul in October, he mentioned that his work “Rüya” aimed to build a bridge between tradition and modernity by presenting the minaret from a different perspective. The artist added that he drew inspiration from his personal story and traditional ties for this installation. Furthermore, this installation, exhibited in the Netherlands, marked a first.

“Hanging the minaret upside-down was truly a bold step. No one in the Netherlands had ever used a minaret as an installation object on this scale before. Yes, the image of a minaret could appear in paintings or silhouettes, but displaying such a large, solid architectural structure turned upside-down like this was a first.”

We began the conversation with the “Rüya” installation, which sparked debate. For some, it was a bold work of art; for others, it was disrespectful to the sacred. Was displaying the minaret, one of the symbols of the Islamic world, upside-down “art or, as discussed, disrespectful to faith?”

Emin Batman responds maturely to the debates surrounding his work and emphasizes that these debates are inherent to art.

“If there were no criticism, the work would be weak. Of course, comments influence and make me think; this enriches me. Getting a reaction means that something has been triggered, that nerves have been touched. I am happy about this. If we are not questioning social issues through art, then there is a problem. Criticism shows the points that a work of art really touches on.”

Art or disrespect?

The upside-down minaret (Rüya) draws on the artist’s personal story and his strong connection to tradition. According to the artist, the issue is “finding the right minaret.”

“Having been born and raised in the Netherlands, I think I can approach issues with a critical perspective. When I first came to Türkiye, I was fascinated by the mosques and minarets. I have great admiration for traditional architecture, especially the works of Mimar Sinan. The minarets of the Süleymaniye Mosque, reaching up to the clouds and their inaccessibility have always caught my attention. However, the height of the minaret and the inaccessibility of the “alem,” the crescent motif at the top of the minaret, always made me wonder. Yet the “alem” symbolizes grandeur and spirituality. The question arose in my mind: “What if we could look at the minaret from another angle?” Based on this idea, we decided to hang the minaret upside-down. When you look at the reflection pool, which is part of the installation, it feels as if you are looking at the minaret from above, as if from the clouds. In other words, what we have here is a reflection, a change of perspective.

People were surprised when they first saw the upside-down minaret; some interpreted it as belittling Islam. However, I come from a traditional family, so such an intention is simply impossible. Yet, these reactions, which come without understanding the work, are thought-provoking. Why hate an image without understanding it? Perhaps this is exactly what we need to discuss.”

Is the upside-down minaret provocative?

“When people first see the inverted minaret, they usually ask, ‘Is this a provocative work?’ Yes, it is provocative, but that does not mean it belittles religion or culture. I like to shake up some traditions, but it would be wrong to see the minaret as Islam itself, because it has become part of the culture as an architectural and functional form. My concern is how I can transfer the inspiration I draw from the past to the future. Questioning and rethinking the traditional heritage is just as important as preserving it.”

Women’s stories, traces of migration

The exhibition is not just an architectural experience; it also contains a multi-layered story of migration. Hale Albayrak, co-curator of the exhibition, says the following about the works “Dantel #41” and “Untitled”: “The exhibition was organized to mark the 60th anniversary of migration from Türkiye to the Netherlands; however, we often see male stories being highlighted in migration narratives. The male figure who ‘set out on the road,’ ‘worked under difficult conditions,’ or was ‘responsible for providing for his family,’ was always at the center of such representations. However, we wanted to make space for women’s voices: women who worked in factories, raised children, struggled with language barriers and kept the culture alive with their manual labor and invisible domestic work.”

These women preserve not only tangible cultural heritage (such as handicrafts, weaving and everyday objects) but also oral and emotional culture; they keep social memory alive through their stories. The work titled “Dantel #41, created from hand-made lace collected from migrant families’ homes through an open call, became one of the most powerful representations of this labor. The fact that visitors to the exhibition are greeted by this work is highly significant in terms of our efforts to make women’s labor visible.

Furthermore, by including women’s narratives in Emin’s archive records in the work titled “Untitled,” I believe we have broken the dominant masculine discourse in migration stories.”

Batman also explained that he aimed to transform the lace motif into an architectural form in the exhibition: “We used lace in the exhibition because our goal was to ‘honor the past while shaping the future.’ We wondered what it would be like if we transformed lace into an architectural form; we abstracted and reinterpreted lace and embroidery. This design was developed for use on the facade of a potential migration museum in Amsterdam. Because lace/embroidery is not only an element unique to Turkish culture, it also appears in different forms in Italian, Latin, Greek and even American cultures. That’s why it became a symbol of establishing both a local and universal language for us.”

Silent witness to migration

Batman’s personal story is directly reflected in his work: “The honeycomb pattern on the Yörük rug from my grandmother’s dowry inspired me. This pattern is also connected to my family’s migration story. My father experienced the plane crash at the Bijlmermeer apartments in Amsterdam and became a Dutch citizen because of this tragedy. After that accident, honeycomb forms became part of my life.

When we move to a new place, the first thing that reminds us of home is usually the carpet; then comes the house, then the city, and finally the world. This cycle continues in my works.”

Bridge between tompouce, baklava

The works in the exhibition draw attention to the visual and spatial fusion of Dutch and Turkish cultures.

“What happens if we combine Turkish and Dutch architecture? Pursuing this question, we aimed to create a new visual and spatial language by combining Turkish motifs with Dutch architecture; this is called ‘fusion architecture.’ This approach brings together traces of different cultures, creating a new architectural language that transcends boundaries and speaks to both the past and the present.”

Co-curator Hale Albayrak noted that they later learned the opening was the most crowded in the history of the Van Eesteren Museum, adding, “I hope this exhibition contributes to reducing discrimination against immigrants and creates space for immigrant communities to express themselves.

“The opening truly hosted a diverse audience; people from different religious beliefs, social classes and generations visited the exhibition together. As someone working in the art sector in Türkiye, I had never seen such diversity at any exhibition opening before,” she added, noting that this exhibition holds a special place in her art career.”

Emin Batman’s work, “Rüya,” is being prepared for exhibition at TU Delft University. In addition, the work is planned to meet audiences in different European cities in a traveling exhibition format; thus, “Rüya” will continue to create a space for intercultural dialogue.

“Tussen Tompouce en Baklava” is a stop that both confronts and celebrates the ongoing story of migration. It invites us to think about how home, identity and culture are redefined. Emin Batman’s exhibition will continue to meet art lovers in different cities across Europe. It aims to contribute to the process of redefining the stories and identities of migrants.