Menekşe Çam from Izmir is toonpool.com’s undisputed Queen of Comments and an irreplaceable part of the community. We invited her and her huband over to frost-ridden Berlin to visit the toonpool.com facilities and meet our staff. Thanks to toonpool.com member Hayati Boyacıoğlu‘s translation we spent a great time with these warm-hearted people.

[image above: Menekşe on frozen lake Wannsee]

I am glad you had a safe trip home, Menekse. How did you and your husband like Berlin?

The invitation came as a complete surprise. It was such a memorable event for me … to have the opportunity to meet a great artist and a perfect gentleman like Bernd Pohlenz, and to see the toonpool.com office up close. We had a great time in Berlin.

Also Hayati Boyacıoğlu – who is a great artist and a really great friend – stayed with us all the time. He told us everything we wanted to know and showed us everything – all the important places: historical ones, political ones and nature, too. We had an excellent week in every respect.

Are you planning to visit other toonpool.com members or are there any plans that they come visit you in Turkey?

Yes, of course! Right now, my biggest plan is to organize a visit to Izmir for Bernd Pohlenz and Hayati Boyacıoğlu. We could set up an exhibition of works by toonpool.com members in Izmir. I talked to the people at Buca Cultural Center and they told me that they would welcome such an exhibition.

I noticed that you and a number of other artists on toonpool.com have formed a kind of network, a close friendship. How did that develop?

Good question! In fact, this was nothing we planned or consciously worked on. We know each other from toonpool.com and we interpreted each other’s work with love and respect. It may seem that we are only supporting each other and providing each other with enthusiasm for work.. But from time to time we have long discussions over works whose ideas we don’t approve of. Over time artists from lots of different countries have joined this friendship, this network.

Do you feel a special connection between Turkish people living in places as different as Turkey (like you), Norway (like Firuz Kutal) or Belgium (like Ismail Dogan)?

I believe and feel that there is a special connection between people from all over world – not only Turkish people – who share some sort of ideology. It doesn’t matter if they are from Turkey, Belgium, Norway or Germany. Or Romania, or Croatia…

Can you describe that ‘ideology’ you and the other artists are sharing?

It’s an ideology that does not discriminate people because of their race, religion or language. An ideology that recognizes that all people have equal rights. One that does defend freedom of expression but that also recognizes a need for self-control when people’s religious feelings or other rights and freedoms might get hurt. And no matter what: it is an ideology against wars and massacres!!

How do think will the toonpool.com community develop in the future?

In my opinion the members of toonpool.com will act together more often – even if they have different mindsets. Just as they did during the Hadi Heidari incident. There might also be joint exhibitions or other collaborations for a good cause.

Thanks for your time!

Paul Hellmich