BINXET I 2022

Berlin

Looking at online maps today, we come across a newly coloured piece covering the northern part of the Syrian territory. This place marks the “western” region of Kurdistan and is called “Rojava – Binxet”. As is widely known, Kurdistan was divided into four parts by the Treaty of Lausanne on 24 July 1923. The region of Rojava (West Kurdistan), which fell under the power of France, is located in the northern regions of the Syrian state. The region is rich in agricultural production, minerals and water. Due to the artificial borders, many Kurds were separated from their families. For this reason, the former railway line ‘Berlin – Baghdad’, whose course today forms the official state border between Turkey and Syria, was called Serxet (above the line) and Binxet (below the line) by Kurds. It is perceived as an artificial line that separates not only Kurdistan and the Kurdish people, but also their culture. Just as there is a difference between history written in a comfortable and safe space and the history of those who lived the practice that is the subject of that history, the same difference applies to feelings. The well-known and indisputable sentence expresses the distance between two histories very well: “You cannot write history if you do not feel the exact blows that a man has inflicted on his body in a war” (Theodor Adorno). To put it more bluntly: it is not possible for those who are personally in the region and those who are far away to feel the same, despite all efforts at empathy… This exhibition reflecting on Rojava is a joint exhibition of those who are or have been in this region and who are directly affected by the reality of this region. This exhibition, organized as part of the 12th Berlin Kurdish Film Festival with this year’s focus on Rojava, will take place from 13 to 19 October.
Curator: Baris Seyitvan