We are individuals from around the world—most of whom have never met and most likely never will—brought together by a shared concern for democracy and the future of Turkey. Living in different countries and communities, we acted simultaneously, instinctively, and independently in response to the March 19, 2025, arrest of Istanbul’s elected mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Following March 19, spontaneous protests emerged across cities worldwide, organized by complete strangers driven by a common instinct: the belief that democracy in Turkey was under threat and that action was necessary, no matter where we lived. Those who came together in Los Angeles issued a call on social media, inviting others who had organized protests elsewhere to send photographs documenting these events. In just under a month, these images formed the foundation of Hak Hukuk Adalet, an exhibition that opened on May 3–4, 2025, during the Brewery Artwalk in Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, as of October 25th, 2025, political injustice against Mayor Imamoglu and other opposition party politicians continues. More mayors were arrested.
It was time to bring this reality to light.
Ayni Sandık, Farklı Adalet / Same Ballot, Different Justice is an interactive installation featuring portraits of Turkish mayors. The work presented at Brewery Artwalk on October 25, 2025, confronts viewers with the question of how justice can differ — even when the vote is cast from the same ballot box.
During that exhibition, each portrait presented a clean public image of a Turkish mayor on the front — name, office, election — and a hidden backstory revealed by lifting a flap. Viewers physically uncover what’s beneath: arrests, trials, or political repression.
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