Dear friends of maḳām,

Summer is here, and we still have a packed line-up of events for you before we take a break in July.

Before I get into that, please allow me to share some personal news. The German translation of my poetry book Love Songs has just been published by etcetera press, Berlin. Many thanks to Erec Schumacher, Andreas Reihse, and Anna-Lisa Dieter.

Dear friends of maḳām,

İstanbul’dan selamlar!

The last few weeks have been full of work, events, art, friends, family, food, readings, gatherings, offerings, surprises, and music that was at times positively overwhelming. I hope the month of May has been treating you well.

Dear all,

What dismal times, what frightening perspectives. Lately, I keep thinking about what any of us can do. One thing is to gather as often as possible, talk, and explore ways of organizing and taking action on a larger scale, while supporting each other on a personal level.

In this sense, there is a symposium this weekend: Culture Workers Organising Against the Authoritarian Turn, April 11–12, organised by Art Worker Solidarity, hosted by anorak (Gottlieb-Dunkel-Str. 43/44).

I’m also very excited to see work from over twenty artists coming together at maḳām very soon for the group show makam#3—the first works have already arrived. Save the date and join us for the opening on April 18—it will be a very special evening.

Dear friends near and far,

The period of seclusion that turned into a rather long winter break is coming to an end. Appropriately, the sun is shining in Berlin, and this weekend a new series of events at maḳām begins. I am very happy to invite you this Sunday to:

maḳām #2: Book Release & Exhibition
Day Book by Sarah Lehnerer.

Dear friends,

It’s been a minute. As 2025 — also the birth year of maḳām, the space — comes to a close, I wanted to share a quick update on upcoming events and a few things for 2026.

We’re gathering again soon: there will be a casual #pazar edition on 20.12 from 3–7 pm, with drinks, music, surprise guests, plus books, tapes, and unique little treasures to shop for as last-minute holiday gifts.

A concert and a reading are already confirmed for January and February 2026, alongside other events in planning. I’m especially excited about the solo show by Salome Machaidze in May. More about all these when the time comes.

Dear friends,

It’s been a while. July was not quite the cruelest month, but still demanding—and at times a little hostile. All the more reason I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s gathering: makam will be hosting WOMANWOOD: the smut gazette, launching their third issue, devoted to Venus Cloacina, goddess of the Roman sewer. You’ll find the editors’ full invitation and details below.

This will also be our last event before makam takes its very first summer break in August. We’ll return in the autumn with two reading groups, an exhibition, and a film evening. But more on those soon.

Warmly,
Seda

Dear friends,

A quick note to let you know about the finissage of makam #1 this Saturday, June 7th.

The space will be open for visits from 12:00 to 20:00, and between 18:00 and 20:00, some of the participating artists will begin collecting their works. By the end of the evening, the show will be mostly dismantled — a gradual closing to mark the end of this beginning.

It’s been a pleasure to host this group exhibition for the opening of maḳām: a whirlwind and a beautiful experience. Thank you to all the artists who trusted me in this moment. I still can’t believe it’s been less than two months since I got the keys to this place — so much has already happened, and there’s so much more to come. It truly feels like a blessing in these dark times.

Dear friends,

I am delighted to invite you to the short film screening as part of our first exhibition, makam #1. We will be showing Emre Busse’s existential science fiction exploration of desire, The Man Who Perceives All; Our House by Stock’n’Wolf & Ritterskamp, a humorous and sharp insight into performance history; Van by Andreas Reihse, an incubus turned dream, conceived and filmed on Struògnuli in the Tyrrhenian Sea; and Uzun Günler (Long Days) by Selen Solak, an intimate study of childhood, summer, and the camera itself, filmed in İğneada, on the Black Sea.

Seating is limited. The space opens at 7 pm, and the screening will start at 8 pm sharp. There will be no entry from 8:15 pm until the end of the program.

Please note: The screening includes adult material and is intended for audiences 18 and over.

Opening Invitation

Dear friends,

It means a lot to me to share this beginning with you: maḳām is opening its doors, and I’d love for you to be there.

makam #1
Friday, May 16th, from 6 to 9 pm
Cranachstraße 62, 12157 Berlin

Dear friends,

After years of make-shift working conditions, I’ve found, at last, not only a dedicated place to work, but also room to gather and host—at Cranachstraße 62. This new space for readings, exhibitions, and gatherings will be called maḳām.

مقام (maḳām), for me, is drawn from music and mysticism. The musical spheres it evokes are vast and multilayered, touching both the secular and the sacred. It not only denotes a unique improvisatory process in Turkish classical music, but is also reflected in traditions of Arabic, Persian, Sephardic Jewish, and Armenian liturgical music, as well as in the ēchos of Byzantine chant—neatly tying itself to صدا (ṣadā), which means “echo,” and which in Turkish is also seda.