Ensemble as Foundation: Emine Sevgi Özdamar’s Theatrical Practice and Poetics

International Conference • Istanbul, 4–5 June 2026

Emine Sevgi Özdamar’s narrative oeuvre has secured an undisputed place in German language and international literary landscapes. Yet key aspects of her artistic work have so far remained largely unexplored in scholarship: her plays, her many years of theatre work as an actor, assistant director, and director, and not least her practice as a visual artist and draughtswoman. In short, the anchoring of her work in theatre—as scenic practice, as an aesthetic principle, and as the foundation of her literary poetics—has received insufficient scholarly attention.

This international conference is the first to place Özdamar’s theatre practice and her dramatic oeuvre at the center of academic inquiry. Stage aesthetics, scenic narrative procedures, and visual forms of expression are approached as inseparable dimensions of a body of work that brings together European avant-gardes, Turkish theatrical traditions, and German theatre history in a unique and productive constellation.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Conceptualization and organization:
Benoît Ellerbach – Koç University
Bernard Banoun – Sorbonne Université
Christine Meyer – Université de Picardie Jules Verne
Christoph K. Neumann – Orient-Institut Istanbul

with support from Bilge Karbi and Lena Alpozan (OII)

Academic Advisory Board:
Hülya Adak – Permanently Associated Researcher, Orient-Institut Istanbul (Türkiye)
Leslie A. Adelson – Professor, Cornell University (USA)
Laura Bradley – Professor, University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
Christiane Czygan – Researcher, Orient-Institut Istanbul (Türkiye)
Ayşe Draz – Performance Maker (Germany/Türkiye)
Meliz Ergin – Associate Professor, Koç University (Türkiye)
Gabriele Radecke – Director, Literature Archive of the Academy of Arts, Berlin (Germany)
Azade Seyhan – Professor, Bryn Mawr College (USA)
Masahiko Tsuchiya – Professor, Nagoya City University (Japan)

ANAMED and Orient-Institut Istanbul
Organized by Koç University and the Orient-Institut Istanbul, in collaboration with Sorbonne Université (Paris) and Université de Picardie Jules Verne (Amiens), with the support of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, the Goethe-Institut Istanbul, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Istanbul, the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, and the Nâzım Hikmet Kültür ve Sanat Araştırma Merkezi.

The conference languages are English and German. Participation is free of charge. No registration is required for attending the conference at ANAMED on June 4. Registration is required for attending the conference at the Orient-Institut on June 5. Please register via the form below. Photos/videos will be taken during the event. By participating, you consent to their use. The event will not be recorded.

VENUE on June 4, 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.:
No registration required
Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations (ANAMED)
İstiklal Cd. No: 181, Merkez Han, Beyoğlu
ANAMED – Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations

VENUE on June 5, 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.:
Orient-Institut Istanbul
Galip Dede Cad. 65, Şahkulu Mah., TR – 34421 Istanbul
Tel.: +90 212 293 60 67
oiist@oiist.org
www.oiist.org

REGISTRATION
To participate in the conference at the Orient-Institut Istanbul on June 5, please register here: