Animation by İlhami Tunç Gençer | Music by Şevket Akıncı

Location: Büyük Valide Han

September 14th – 28th

daily – 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

A brief yet incisive work, “How Should I Put It?” reflects on the tension between belonging and divergence.

“There are those who are part of a life plan. And then there are those who have another plan for that part.” (Ilhami Tunç Gençer/Şevket Akıncı).

For the third consecutive year at the Mahalla Festival, İlhami Tunç Gençer and Şevket Akıncı present their collaborative works, merging animation and music into a singular artistic experience.

Their practice transcends conventional narrative, exploring abstraction in both visual and sonic realms to create a contemporary surrealist dream world that resonates with the spirit of Istanbul.

Through this interplay of image and sound, the artists investigate themes of identity, memory, and the unexpected intersections of life’s trajectories.

Each work invites the audience into a liminal space, where familiar urban textures and fantastical elements coexist, prompting reflection and sensory immersion. In this ongoing collaboration, the duo continues to redefine the boundaries between animation, improvisational music, and experiential storytelling, positioning their contributions as a central and compelling voice within the Mahalla Festival program.

İlhami Tunç Gençer‘s animation works have been screened at nearly 300 festivals worldwide, earning him various national and international awards.

Şevket Akıncı is a guitarist, composer, arranger, and improviser he has worked across genres from traditional jazz and free improvisation to fusion and Turkish art music, while also collaborating in interdisciplinary projects that merge music with literature, cinema, dance, theatre, and visual arts.