The 8th edition of the Mahalla Festival will take place from September 13–28, 2025, at the historic and cosmopolitan Büyük Valide Han in Istanbul, with an accompanying program of panels and film screenings at Galata Postane. Once a hub for merchants and travelers from all over the world, the han continues to embody its rich multicultural legacy through its architecture and atmosphere, offering a unique setting for a festival dedicated to dialogue and cultural exchange.
This year’s festival presents a rich program of exhibitions, panels, film screenings, and workshops, inviting audiences to experience art in direct dialogue with the historic site. The unique atmosphere of the han will intertwine with artistic narratives to create unforgettable experiences for visitors.
Theme: Midas Touch
The 2025 theme, “Midas Touch”, encourages reflection on shifting values, global capitalism, identity, and borders while confronting pressing issues such as climate change, international conflicts, and forced migration.
Through art, the festival amplifies the stories of communities often marginalized or labeled as “the other,” bringing visibility to overlooked narratives.
Participants
A total of 16 artists from Afghanistan, Austria, France, Georgia, Germany, Iran, Lithuania, Turkey, and the United States will take part in the program. In addition to individual and collaborative projects, both local and international artists will present interactive works that actively engage the audience.
Curatorship and International Collaboration
The festival is curated by Sabine and Thomas Büsch (TR/DE). Artists participating in the Creative Europe–funded MagiCCarpets program will be curated by Mathilde Melek An (TR/FR), in collaboration with Ana Gabelaia (GE) (Tbilisi Photo Festival) and Brigita Bareikyte (LT) (Kaunas Biennale).
Organized by the Diyalog Association (Istanbul), in collaboration with Pilot Galeri, Mahalla 2025 is part of the parallel program of the 18th Istanbul Biennial.
About Mahalla
Since its founding, Mahalla has served as an interdisciplinary platform across the fields of fine art, music, performance, cinema, and poetry—building an international network among artists, institutions, and communities. For the past eight years, it has been dedicated to creating new narratives through innovative, dialogue-driven, and transnational approaches. The festival places particular emphasis on mobility, experimenting with new formats, and recognizing crises as shared global challenges.
Special Event – September 12 (Pre-Opening)
Title: Greening News Deserts: The Innovative Power of Art and Media in Exile – Fighting for Freedom of Expression and Recognition
Date: 12.09.2025
Time: 17:00 – 20:00
Venue: Postane
Moderator: Jennifer Hattam (TR/US), Foreign Media Association Turkey (FMA)
Speakers: Fariba Nawa (TR/US/AF) /Chief editor On-Spec Documentray Podcast/, Lida Hamid (AF)/ Photographer, Uranus Musamen (TR/AF) /Freelance Journalist, Poet, Short Film/, Fatima Wojohat (US/AF)/ Cartoonist, Animation artist, and others
Opening Program – September 13
Press Preview: 14:00 – 17:00
Journalists are invited to meet the curators and artists ahead of the official opening.
Official Opening: 17:00 – 20:00
The evening program will feature a live performance by Gözde Mimiko Türkkan (18:30) and a participatory photography workshop by Katharina Swoboda (17:00). Refreshments will be served.
Special Events – September 26
Date: 26.09.2025
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Screening/Talk: “Fight like a girl/Pelea Como una chica”
Short Film, 19:04, (2025) about Gözde Mimiko Türkkan’s Installation & performance in collaboration with Namibia Flores Rodríguez produced for 15 Bienal de la Habana at Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Centre, 2024.
Talk with artist Gözde Mimiko Türkkan
Refreshments served
Time: 17:00 – 20:00
Panel: “Weaving Magical Whispers Against Silence – Poetry of Resilience”
Poets:
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Somaia Ramish (NL/AF), Journalist, Poet
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Oranus Musamen (TR/AF), Journalist, Poet
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Lina Rozbih Haidari (USA/AF), Journalist, Poet
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and others
Film: Surprise Screening (recently awarded at the Locarno Film Festival)
Duration: 20 minutes
Partners and Supporters
In Partnership with the MagiCCarpets Platform (Creative Europe)
In collaboration with Pilot Galeri, Istanbul
IMS – International Media Support, Copenhagen
Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Istanbul
Austrian Cultural Forum, Istanbul
For detailed festival information, including an artist list and full program, please check out the official website for Mahalla Festival, as well as keep up with them via their Instagram.
