Bi'bak

After the meeting with Özcan Mutlu at City 54 Hostel where refugees stay, we went to our meeting with Bi'bak. When we were there, Malve Lippmann ,Can Sangu - a Turkish who came to Berlin to study and lives here now- and Hannah Doering were waiting us. We introduced ourselves and told them about our reason to be in Berlin. Later they began to present this non-profit association .

Firstly, they gave us some information about the area. Their atelier is located in Wedding that has been always a migrant dominated area . The houses in the area were built by Turkish and Polish immigrants. In 60's, the reason migrants lived in Kreuzberg and Wedding was about their location which is close to the wall, so the rents were quite low. In mid 70s, the government banned to move in these areas because they were so plenty, even their passports were stamped to prevent it. Also, they added that it was the only area that voted communist party when Hitler were rising to power in 1933. Therefore the Wedding area is a place for migrants in a general way. They consider the neighbourhood and it’s culture like an “input” for their projects and works. In addition, their atelier is like “open-shop” studio; it had big glass windows so they let everyone see inside the area. “Generally, lots of people are coming by and asking what we are doing” explaining Mr. Sangu.

Secondly, they introduced themselves. They are doing a cultural programs like cinema, audio, exhibition programs and workshops with children. The general topic is migration and mobilities. Their target is not only migrants and refugees, they are open to everyone. They are not social workers, they just make arts and culture programs. In the team some of them have a refugee background but some of them not. So basically, they are a group of people who are eager to do arts and culture programs regarding migration and refugee.

'Tiger Comes' and 'Sıla Yolu' Project

Later, they told us about the projects that they collaborated with children schools, sometimes they try to mix refugee children and non-refugee children. They run projects called 'Tiger Comes' which they made some animation, computer games, etc. with children during 7 years. 'Tiger' is a metaphor for the migrant, it comes from a country which is far away, sometimes not very well known, exotic and dangerous. This is the base of the 'Tiger Comes' projects.

In one of the 'Tiger Comes' project, they went shops where international products are sold. In the sops, they chose the item that comes from far away. The items were like the friends of tiger, they live also in Berlin. Tiger invited them for a dinner and they talked about their journey at the same table. They discussed why they had to leave the country, what was happening in the country that they had to go, etc. The kids developed stories and then they illustrated them. After, they got stamps for the municipalities.

We wondered about if there are any differences between children and non-refugee children while reflecting their mind. They explained it with an example about last 'Tiger Comes'. It focused on housing problem in Berlin. All the people who want to move out from the refugee homes, cannot find it easily. So in the project "Tiger is coming, applying for a house. No one wants to give him because he clatters his paws, he makes noises, that's why they don't want the tiger in the neighbourhood, etc." they said to the kids. So they presented the whole story with this 'Tiger' metaphor. After, kids made tigers, went in the neighbourhood and asked questions about the issue.

There were some differences between the questions of the 'nice or well' educated children and the refugee children. When the educators in the projects asked the children build or draw a house, the children from the refugee house's were quite stereotyped, on the other hand, the children with 'nice' background's were very fantastical.

So, it is very easy to see the concept of house in their mind. Also, it is possible to say that the approach of this association is quite constructive considering the interaction between different cultures. Taking into consideration that childhood is the fundamental period where all the prejudgment develops, it is very important for the next generations due to interaction between cultures. The children has also an impact on their family, they can have a part in changing somehow the point of view on refugees and migrants. It is possible to say that projects like that provides refugee's socialization.

Also, we talked about their another project called 'Sıla Yolu-The Holiday Transit to Turkey and the Tales of the Highway '. It is an exhibition that focuses on the highway route between Germany and Turkey which has been used primarily by Turkish immigrants since the 1960s. 'Sıla Yolu' means 'Deathroad' or 'Autoput'. The route is the former European route E-5. In a way, it's a road where the multiculturity increases. It has witnessed to stories of leaving home, holiday returns, hope and homesickness. The exhibition is a mobile audio-visual installation and exhibition set up in an old Ford Transit, the typical and now symbolic car used by many Turkish immigrant families for the journey between their old and new homes. The exhibition took place in Istanbul too.

'Bi-bakstube' Project

Moreover, they started one of their first projects in here : “bi-bakstube”. The project came out like a small work and developed as a community where the people cook and share, also has a refugee background. They showed us several examples from different events, every events had their own cook from different cuisine. For instance, they showed us photos from their website about one of these events “Ghana Kitchen”. In this one, Fatao had cooked.

Then, they told about us Fatao a bit; he was one of the refugees who used to live in Kreuzberg on a square. At that time, him and other -nearly- 100 refugees had been living in the protest camp during the winter. With the closure of the camp, people had started to search for place to sleep and live. Because of this, Fatoo approached to them and ask if they have a place for someone, if he can stay here. From that point, he had started to live under the roof of Bi-bak for nearly 6 months.

However, Fatoo had no government support, income or money for food but he had been cooking and also his friends had no place for dinner. So, they say that they can make something for Fatoo and his friends. The idea “bi-bakstube” showed up. Thus, in this organization Fatoo can cook, different people could come and donate some money and also they could interact each other.

So the project started with a just a little cooking thing. And it was also experiment about people eat with their hands because this was the way how you eat food in Ghana. It was a bit awkward way for people called “Fufu” . At this point, Mr. Sangu mentioned the concepts of exchange, equal perspective and interaction: “Everybody is talking about interaction. But they expected from everybody who comes here to adapt. But I think this not a question in I-level and not a question about exchanging perspectives because it has just one way. If you have really both ways, people can try what they are not used to. Like putting your hand in a hot soup. And they will be put their hand into the same bowl with Africans.”

With the project, people who are not able to work legally could earn a bit money and had something in common with the people from other cultures and backgrounds. Also, later they had continued with other cuisines and cooks; the dinners had moderated at the certain time.

Changing In Projets

In addition, they developed this culinary events. For instance, they added some small papers that including a “saying" from different language. For finding their seats and understand what is written and what is the meaning, the participants have to find other participants and ask them; it means they have to find someone understand the paper. However, the main idea was getting rid of the questions like “Where are you from?” “Why are you here?”. Instead of talking about these kind of things, refugees prefer to talk about normal things.

Finally, they underlined that since last 3 years, situation has changed. They are observing that there is not a big need that this kind of events anymore. So they stopped this concept and concern about Turkish Diaspora instead of refugees. “Rakı Prinzip” event is one of the examples about this concern; it is a collective dinner and round table discussion with Raki and food.

At the end, we can say “Bi-bak” is very unique and beneficial organization. They put a focus on issues such as migration and the way do it is very remarkable; they are very far away from the concept of “just helping”, they compound several notions like cultural interaction, network, two-way adaptation and exchanging the ideas.