Berfin Topal's works create a structure of space and discourse

Although Berfin Topal is still at the beginning of her artistic career, she has already attracted attention with her work through her critical examination of current socio-political issues. The jury of the Rundgang of the Kunsthochschule Kassel praised her work "Still There" with the words that Topal's artistic practice is attuned to the capacity for action of our time. In it, this year's SV SparkassenVersicherung prizewinner graphically depicts the invisible suffering and struggle of the „Samstagsmütter“, who have been coming together in Istanbul/Turkey every week since 1995 to ask for the whereabouts of their relatives who have disappeared in state custody. Topal's work spans time and space, connecting the past and the present and uniting collective grief, anger and hope. Like a puzzle, Topal's drawing brings together the suffering and solidarity among those affected and stands for their demand for justice.

When Topal began her studies at the Kunsthochschule Kassel (KhK), she already brought a wealth of artistic experience with her. At the Freie Kunstakademie Mannheim (FKAM), she gained theoretical and practical experience in the field of fine art. But that was not enough for her and she wanted to develop her artistic skills further. In the end, she was won over by the KhK because of the professors' teaching portfolios and the specialist classes in the Visual Arts degree program. The documenta, the international exhibition for contemporary art that takes place in Kassel every five years, was also a decisive factor in her decision to study: "When I took the entrance exam at the Kunsthochschule in summer 2022, the documenta was taking place at the same time, which I visited. The presence of one of the world's most important art exhibitions in Kassel strengthened my conviction that this city is an inspiring place to study art," explains Topal.

Topal is in her 7th semester studying art in a contemporary context. The central medium of her artistic practice is drawing. At the same time, however, she has started to work in the fields of painting and printmaking. "For me, printmaking in particular is a form that I use for my projects and want to develop further," says the student. During the course of her studies, the budding visual artist became more intensively involved with her Kurdish-Turkish roots: "I realize that my own origins and identity as a person with a migrant background in Germany are an important part of me and strongly influence my artistic work. My personal experiences flow into my projects and in this way create a connection to larger social issues," says Topal.

The creation of the art student's works is based on intensive literature research. "But photography as a medium of memory also inspires my artistic work," Topal emphasizes. As a further source of inspiration, Topal studies the work of other artists who deal with similar issues to her own: "I want to understand other artistic approaches in order to further develop my own perspective. And when I feel unsure about the development process of my project, the one-on-one discussions with my professor Christoph Keller help me a lot."

Topal sounds reflective, authentic and down-to-earth when she talks about the skills needed to study art: "You should be open to new ideas and try out different forms of expression. In the same way, the ability to be critical is important in order to question your own artistic work. In addition, artistic processes are often lengthy, which is why studying requires perseverance and self-discipline."

The excursion to Istanbul at the beginning of the 2025/26 winter semester is a special event for the Art in the Contemporary Context class. "It will be a special trip. Among other things, we will be visiting the 18th Istanbul Biennial 'The Three-Legged Cat', curated by Christine Tohmé," says Topal. The excursion program also includes a cultural exploration of the megalopolis as a place of exile and the history of the Armenian, Greek and Kurdish-Alevi diaspora.

The excursion to Istanbul may inspire Topal's current project theme "Hope". Topal explains why she wants to deal with the subject artistically: "Especially in these times, which are characterized by socio-political crises, we all need a little hope and thus a positive view of the future." 

(Text in German: Çiğdem Özdemir)