Fotohane DARKROOM: A Living Exhibition at K!

K! – Space for collaborative photography, recently opened in the San Salvario district of Turin by the Kublaiklan collective, presents a “dynamic exhibition”, open to the intervention and participation of the visitors.

Overview

The exhibition, curated by Kublaiklan, collects the images created as part of Fotohane DARKROOM, a travelling project of analog photography intendend for the children of the Mardin Province, in the south-east of Türkiye. Founded in 2024, the non-profit organization promotes free workshops dedicated to the youngest, especially to children of Turkish, Syrian, Iraqi and Kurdish origin, by offering them creative tools and opportunities to meet through photographic practice. By introducing young people to the traditional techniques of analog photography—from shooting on film to developing and printing in the darkroom—the project encourages personal expression, collaboration and community building.

The exhibition presents over 100 photographs, mostly created through traditional darkroom printing. A section of the exhibition is also dedicated to public interaction: visitors will be able to directly interact with the prints, that will subsequently be sent to Fotohane DARKROOM.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with Bellini Foto, brand specialized in the production of photographic chemicals for analog development, that took care of the production of the prints in the darkroom, and with Mosaico Refugees, an associationactively engaged in the Turin area, which will be involved in the design and construction of the exhibition. A group of people connected to this organization will participate in a one-day workshop dedicated to the selection of photographs, the definition of the set up and the collective installation of the exhibition. This initiative is part of the collaborative programming of K! – Space for collaborative photography, oriented at building dialogues and collaborations with the cultural and social realities of the area. The challenge is to use international projects as a starting point to find common ground with the local community, encouraging participants and audiences to reflect on contemporary issues through photography.

On 20 June at 5.00 pm, at K!, Kublaiklan and Mosaico Refugees will be in conversation to discuss their experience of the participatory set-up process.

The exhibition is promoted by Refugee Week Italia, a network of organizations, institutions and people involved in reception, inclusion and participation of refugees and migrants in Italy. This edition, from 15 to 21 June 2026, is dedicated to the theme of "Courage", on which visitors to the exhibition Fotohane DARKROOM: A Living Exhibition will be invited to leave a thought – a message, a drawing or a personal trace – on the images on display.

About Fotohane DARKROOM

Fotohane DARKROOM was born from the initiative of the Syrian photographer Serbest Salih, who arrived in Mardin as a refugee, and Amar Kılıç. The two founders provide participants with analog cameras and accompany them through all stages of the photographic process: from the basics of visual composition, through shooting, developing, and printing, up to the organization of the final exhibitions.

In 2019, Salih transformed a caravan into a mobile darkroom, which now travels through villages and communities along the Turkish-Syrian border, hosting workshops for children and youth aged 7 to 17. Supported by international organizations such as UNHCR, the project engages young people from diverse backgrounds, often deprived of access to cultural and artistic opportunities.

The goal is to create a safe space where refugee children, Kurds, Syrians and Iraqis, can collaborate with Turkish peers, sharing experiences and building relationships through photography. During the workshops, children are encouraged to photograph their surroundings—family, friends, everyday landscapes—experimenting with new ways of observing the world and narrating their own reality. The activities thus become not only artistic journeys, but also opportunities for collective growth and strengthening a sense of community. Courses are taught in Turkish, Kurdish, and Arabic, encouraging cross-cultural dialogue and involving families.

Even the name of the project, Fotohane was chosen by the same children who took part in the project: it means “house of photography” in Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic and Persian.

Fotohane DARKROOM is located in Mardin, a city a few kilometers from the Syrian border, characterized by a deep cultural diversity and a strong presence of communities escaping conflicts in the region. In this context, Fotohane DARKROOM works as a bridge between different experiences and identities, thanks also to the collaboration of local artists, volunteers and international supporters who contribute photographic materials, film and darkroom equipment.

In a territory marked by conflicts, migrations and social tensions, Fotohane DARKROOM proposes itself as a place of care and imagination.