"INTERSECTIONS: A DIALOGUE AT THE TABLE"

A workshop and a group exhibition featuring the works produced during the workshop were held from April 14 to 18, 2025, with the participation of students from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in the Netherlands and the Glass Department of Anadolu University's Faculty of Fine Arts as part of the events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Anadolu University.

Titled "Intersections: A Dialogue at the Table," this international event examined the culinary cultures of Turkey and the Netherlands through the lens of glass art, focusing on the intersections and contrasts in how food shapes cultural identity, habits, and traditions. During the workshop, the participating students transformed shared rituals, ingredients, and food aesthetics into glass, aiming to create a creative dialogue space that highlighted both the uniqueness and common ground between the two cultures. The event was curated by Jens Pfeifer, Head of the Glass Department at Gerrit Rietveld Academie, and Mustafa Ağatekin, Head of the Glass Department at Anadolu University's Faculty of Fine Arts.  

Ağatekin explained the project's starting point: "For this project, we reached out to the Glass Department at Gerrit Rietveld Academie in the Netherlands. Gerrit Rietveld Academie is an institution we have collaborated with before in the field of glass art. Building on this relationship, we developed the idea of a joint workshop. We wanted to create an environment where our students could come together and support each other in both the design and implementation processes. During the preparatory phase, which lasted about five to six months, we held online meetings with academics to determine the content of the event." Ağatekin noted that naming the project "A Dialogue at the Table" was a deliberate choice: "People gather around the table to strengthen friendships, talk, share, and sometimes reconcile. The table is not just for eating; it is also a symbol of cultural interaction. In this context, we asked our students to interpret this theme through glass art and collaboratively create a table setting."  

Jens Pfeifer shared his thoughts on the event: "Interaction and communication between cultures are among the most fundamental things in art and design. To understand, we must exchange, and when we understand, we show tolerance. The students communicated very easily. Although this was our intention, it surprised me to see them connect so quickly despite speaking different languages." Regarding the inspiration behind the event, Pfeifer added: "We wanted to find something that brings people together, something they all know and feel connected to. Food is exactly that. Food cultures are very different and say a lot about your background, as well as what you like, and they reflect other aspects of life. We hope this will be visible in the works produced during this workshop. However, we are aware that one week is very short for producing glass works. But what I’ve seen so far excites me, and being here and celebrating the (glass) art community together is a wonderful experience. I hope the students build lifelong connections, and perhaps I’ll see them in Amsterdam someday."  

The event, held in the studios of the Glass Department at the Faculty of Fine Arts, included a group of 54 participants—24 from Gerrit Rietveld Academie and 30 from the Glass Department. Following the three-day workshop, a selection of the produced works was exhibited at the Faruk Atalayer Exhibition Hall of Anadolu University's Faculty of Fine Arts between 18-30 April, 2025.