Hrant Dink Foundation

Museums and memory sites have been particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many museums had to close their doors to visitors and launch online exhibitions. 23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory is the first memory site in Turkey that sheds light on the different periods of Hrant Dink’s life. The site addresses and highlights the importance of universal values embraced by Hrant Dink, such as democracy, equality, justice, human rights, and freedoms, and builds a bridge between memory and hope. However, following Covid-19 restrictions, the site has been closed since March 19, 2020.

We would like to overcome this challenge by creating a virtual exhibition of the memory site. 23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory offers rich multimedia content and audio guides available in Turkish, Armenian, and English. Having an online presence and offering virtual tours will help the site continue its mission to promote human rights and foster mutual understanding, dialogue, and empathy. The virtual tour will enrich the online workshops and enable us to craft online public programs addressing several issues related to human rights and democracy. We will also be able to continue our guided tours online. In this way, we will be able to reach visitors within and outside Turkey, which will increase the outreach and impact of the site.

Before Covid-19, within a span of eight months, we had more than 1250 visitors to the memory site. During the pandemic, we started organizing online Memory Sites workshops and a Look at the Armenian Culture and History from Hrant Dink’s Room workshop. Adapting Hrant Dink’s room to a virtual format via Matterport was the first step that encouraged us to turn the whole memory site into a virtual exhibition. With the growing interest across the country and the globe, the workshops have reached hundreds of people from 37 cities in Turkey and 16 countries globally. We aim at reaching more cities and countries with the virtual exhibition.