Dear Viewer

This book is in your hands because of the people who have given me access. Access to their flats, dorms and shows; to their art, their workshop, their publishing house and their studios; access to their lives, memories, know-how, time and money. Thus, I’d like to thank quite a few people.

First and foremost – whether their presence is in this book or not – I love and thank every single gender-nonconforming, trans*, queer refugee and asylum-seeking individual that I’ve met. Thank you, Prince Emrah, for your friendship, trust and the doors you’ve opened for me; thank you, Reza, for encouraging me to tell the queer refugee stories; Keil Li Divon, for being my fabulous muse and friend. Thank you, Suryani, for sharing your wisdom and tasty dishes, which you made vegan especially for me. Without a particular order – Aria, Ali, Dalaa, Patricia, Mirna, Mudi, Arya, Ferdos, Romina, Berfin, Defne, Elina, Nikita, Shugar, Suryani, Mona, Julie, Zina, and those who prefer to stay anonymous; thank you for trusting me. People in the performance art scene: belly dancers, drag artists, the House of Royals, and the House of Living Colors; thank you for making me part of your team and showing me your way of navigating and thriving.

Thank you, Sema Karaman for being my compass, mentor, manager and muse; this book is possible because of your early formative edit and also your constant support on every single element of this book. Anton Licht, my secret editor, manager and collector, thank you for encouraging me whenever I needed it the most. Thank you, Mehmet Taner Demir, for believing in me early on, for being an amazing friend and for funding this book. Istem Duygu Akalp, my muse and inspiration, thank you for showing us how to lead a life with good intentions and positive impact. Without you all, this book would not have happened.

Thank you, mom, for showing me how to live with principles and diligence. Ece Durgun, my sister, thank you for taking me on a walk that formed the book’s backbone. Dad, thank you for making my life colourful. Thank you, Alaz, for always hearing me whenever I needed to be heard, without judgement. Thank you, my friends, Rakaya Lisa, Selen Küçükarslan, Seda Elibol, Emirhan Eringen, Maddie Moore, Stefanie Schilasky, my Istanbul and Adana crews for the support throughout my creative journey so far.

Whilst being aware that countless artists, creators, academicians and authors have resonated with me and had an impact on me, I would like to thank my friends and connections in the art world who showed me generosity, care and acts of kindness, starting with Maria Marshall, for being an inspiring conceptual artist, mentor and friend, and Mark Ginsburg, for our endless inspirational conversations that keep widening my horizon. Thank you to Ahmad Hijazi, Mischa Badasyan, Adrian Marie Blount, George N Roses, Alex Korsunskaya, Miron Cuperman, Alexander Hidalgo, Maren Lübbke-Tidow, Noéline la Bouche, Friedrich Loock, Thomas Pagliaro, Nadine Barth, Katharina Mouratidi, Jess T. Dugan, Erdem Akkaya, Lisa Hoffmann, Adela Lovrić, Mathilde ter Heijne and the students of her class at the Berlin University of the Arts as well as the Common Ground program team for giving me access to your knowledge and your spaces.

Thank you so much, Amrou Al-Kadhi and Marianne Ager, for believing in me and my work and writing pieces to enable different interpretations of it.

Thank you, Robyn, Markus Jägerstedt, Klas Åhlund, for writing the song Honey, which gave the book its title. Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, thank you for creating the artwork Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism (2008), which gives depth to the story the book tells.

Alexa Becker and Klaus Kehrer, thank you so much for trusting me and providing me with representation and space. The excellent Kehrer team, including – but not limited to – Sylvia, July, Barbara, Kathrin and Erik, thank you for turning my idea into this precious object and helping distribute it.

And lastly, thank you, viewer, for picking up this book and giving it your precious time. If you have any ideas on how to give access to your resources to the community, please reach out to me.

Samet Durgun