Köken Ergun

Köken Ergun studied acting at the İstanbul University and after completing his postgraduate diploma degree in Ancient Greek Literature, began working with American theater director Robert Wilson. His evocative work focuses on ritual, exploring Turkish nationalism through religious, military, and cultural traditions. Ergun frequently collaborates with ethnologists, often extending his artistic practice into academia.


Ergun has exhibited internationally at institutions including Platform, Istanbul, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012), Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (2007), KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Arts, Helsinki (2003), Digital ArtLab, Tel Aviv, Casino Luxembourg, Heidelberger Kunstverein, SALT, Ankara, Protocinema, New York (2013), and Kunsthalle Winterthur. He is the recipient of the "Tiger Award for Short Film" at the 2007 Rotterdam Film Festival and the "Special Mention Prize" at the 2013 Berlinale. He is currently writing his PhD thesis at the Interart Graduate College of the Freie Universität on the subject of "Rituals of Isolation: Emotional Bonding in Wedding Ceremonies of the Turkish/Kurdish Community in Berlin."