Memory Transgressed by Female Bodies: Civil Historiography Contrasted with Official Historiography

Abstract

For the past twenty-two years, productions by the Hareket Atölyesi Topluluğu (Movement Atelier Company), an all-female ensemble based in Istanbul, have related to spaces such as the country, the city, and the home. These spaces not only provide shelter but also give rise to existence and foster creation, thereby aligning with feminine characteristics and challenging hypermasculine powers. This article examines the works of Hareket Atölyesi Topluluğu using the concepts of chora, which refers to a formless interval, and of barzakh, which describes an in-between space. Ultimately, we seek to explore how these cultural conceptions of space inform artistic processes and resist hegemonic narratives. © 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.