Paper short abstract:

Based on fieldwork in Istanbul's contemporary artworld, this paper examines current modalities of censorship in the arts in Turkey, the different actors involved in censoring efforts, and how artists themselves address the dynamics of self-censorship and foreclosure.

Paper long abstract:

While the increasing interest in contemporary art from Turkey, both domestically and internationally, has centered on explicitly political works, discussions on the limitations of the freedom of expression have likewise been spotlighted, not least in the context of Turkey's EU candidacy. Much of these debates have focused on the controversial article 301 of the penal code criminalizing the 'denigration' of 'the Turkish nation and its institutions.' Less thematized, however, are modes of censorship that, in contrast to the attempts of complete suppression marking the 1980-coup and its aftermath, aim to delegitimize artistic expression that can be construed as threatening the territorial integrity (and sovereignty) of the Turkish state as well as public decency. Based on fieldwork in Istanbul's contemporary artworld, this paper examines current modalities of censorship in the arts, the different actors involved in censoring efforts, and how artists themselves address the dynamics of self-censorship and foreclosure.