Transformation of the concept of excahnage into artistic expression through A/r/tography: The Gelveri example

Following the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne on July 24, 1923, hundreds of thousands of individuals were subjected to a compulsory population exchange based on the agreement between the Turkish and Greek governments. This process forced people to leave the lands where they had been born and raised. As a result, a wide range of issues emerged, particularly of a social and psychological nature. This exchange represents the most significant population movement in the modern histories of both Turkey and Greece. Within this context, the present research addresses the concept of the population exchange—not through traditional literary or historical analysis, but via a subjective and artistic inquiry. Departing from conventional qualitative and quantitative research methods, the study adopts A/r/tography, a contemporary methodology in the field of art research that allows for an integrated approach combining the roles of artist, researcher, and teacher. Throughout the research process, the productions of the researcher were shaped in accordance with the methodological flexibility offered by A/r/tography. The thesis evolves through rhizomatic connections, allowing for nonlinear, multidirectional relationships between ideas, practices, and experiences. Within this structure, the researcher also questioned their own artistic production processes. Additionally, metaphors were employed as conceptual tools in the creation of artworks. Spanning from Gelveri to Nea Karvali, the study presents its findings through the interconnected lenses of the artist, researcher, and teacher identities inherent to the A/r/tographic approach. Various techniques and materials were employed in the creative process, including collage, ceramics, assemblage, and photography. These multidisciplinary practices provided diverse perspectives through which the population exchange could be reconsidered and reinterpreted. Ultimately, this research portrays a deeply personal and transformative journey. It not only documents the historical and cultural dimensions of forced migration but also reveals the evolution of the researcher, who is simultaneously shaped and enriched through their roles as an artist, a researcher, and an educator.