My research
On this page, you will find my research: what I’m currently working on, and what I’ve already published.
Given that I grew up in the in-betweens (between cultures, systems, and ways of being), my research often offers a unique angle: that of the outsider looking in. As such, it is often critical of dominant systems.
The material reality around us (politics, economy, social structure – in short, the base and superstructure) and how it shapes us and our relations, is at the core of most my work and research.
As such, my research often examines how resources, technology, and the organization of production don’t just sustain economies but define identities, enforce hierarchies, and reproduce the very structures of modernity. Grounded in the nepantla of my own history, I interrogate these intersections: Why do certain systems persist? Who do they serve? How do they maintain their grip—and at what cost? And most importantly: what can we do to provide alternatives?
The results take many forms: papers, video essays, documentaries, and collaborative projects, each exploring the mechanisms of power that underpin ideological reproduction and resistance.
Whether documenting the Yörük nomads’ metabolic relationship with the land as a challenge to the Capitalocene, dissecting the cult-like dynamics of techno-capitalism in my PhD, or co-designing equitable mobility and energy systems in EU projects like Fair Mobility and POSEIDON or PED-ACT, my focus remains on the “how”: how is knowledge and knowhow suppressed or reclaimed, and how can communities carve out alternatives within constrained spaces. At its core, my work is about uncovering the invisible architectures of influence and imagining what might emerge when we refuse their limits.
You can find links to some of my research below: click on them for more detailed information and access.
The Yörük
Nomadic knowledge and alternative lifestyles in the capitalocene
My research on the Yörük is the result of a personal journey as well. Together with Dr. Kristina Pfeifer, we will be exploring endangered material culture, ecological knowledge, and social structures of Anatolia’s Yörük nomads, documenting (and experiencing) their Göc (migration) routes, social structures, cultures and modes of production.
Through artistic ethnography (filming, nepantla journalling, and storytelling), we would like to look into how the Yörük deal with forced settlement, industrial encroachment, and climate instability, framing their practices as counter-models to extractive capitalism.
So far, our initial fieldwork includes tribes and families in Ahmetli, Başaran, Muğla, and Denizli, with a focus on cultural memory, generational adaptation, tent-making, goat-herding, and seasonal migration, while future plans include joining the 2027 Göç to immerse in their workflows and knowledge systems. By centering Yörük agency and undogmatic traditions, our work challenges hegemonic narratives of progress, emphasizing their decentralized, adaptive ways of life as alternatives to dominant metabolic relations. Ultimately, the research asks: How can endangered lifeways like the Yörük inform post-capitalist futures?
Reproducing Coercion
ideological reproduction in cults and capitalism
Completed in 2024 as a Master’s thesis at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, the work consists of two parts: a written thesis, and artistic work (in the form of short films). While the written book explores the parallels between various forms of capitalist ideology and high-demand groups (cults), the films explore the internalization of these techniques by individuals.
A series of shorts poetic explorations that inquire into various commonly used coercive techniques by authoritarian groups (commonly referred to as cults) – particularly from the perspectives of members/followers.
Reproducing Coercion, examines the structural and psychological parallels between high-pressure groups (cults) and capitalist systems, arguing that both rely on coercion, repetition, and ideological control to strip individuals of agency and perpetuate exploitative hierarchies.
Including theoretical frameworks (including Althusser’s Ideological State Apparatuses, Lifton’s thought reform, and Butler’s performativity), the work dissects how language, ritual, and guilt function as tools to enforce compliance, manufacture insecurity, and naturalize exploitation: in cults as well as in capitalist labor relations.
The thesis identifies sacred science, loaded language, and repetitive labor as core mechanisms by which these systems reproduce themselves, framing practices like prayer, tithing, and workplace discipline as ritualized forms of ideological reproduction.
Publications
and papers: from positive energy districts to mobility
Below is a list of my publications, with access links included. You’ll notice they address a wide range of topics, but converge at the intersection of community, transformation, and alternative modes of production and social relations.
This manifesto outlines a vision for transitioning to Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) through a holistic and inclusive approach. It emphasizes the need for community empowerment, collaboration, and addressing key social, technical, environmental, and governance aspects. The manifesto advocates for essential demands like carbon pricing, public spending on sustainable projects, and prioritizing climate justice. It also encourages immediate actions, such as investing in green energy, participating in energy communities, and advocating for better policies. The ultimate goal is to create sustainable, resilient, and equitable energy districts for the future.
The theory is a result of the participation processes we were engaged in. We came to realize that a crucial part of the energy transition needed to be the active involvement of energy communities.
“Youngsters’ Right to the City” is a chapter in “Placemaking in Practice Volume 2” written by Bahanur Nasya, Liridona Ura, Ulrika Stevens, Robert Körner and Yilmaz Vurucu.
The paper focuses on citizen participation, particularly that of youngsters, in urban development and planning.o, we will specifically analyse and evaluate methods that involve playing as a means to encourage young people’s ideas and inspiration. In it, cases are detailed, playing as a tool of engagement is evaluated via experiences in various projects, and the needs of young people in participatory processes is outlined.
Published in Frontiers in Sustainable cities, the paper outlines the self-scoring system we had developed as part of the PED-ACT project.
A predominant portion of current Positive Energy District (PED) projects focuses on technical advancements, often neglecting non-technical aspects, which can hinder a just energy transition. This raises the question: How can PEDs be assessed to ensure a just, inclusive, and context-sensitive energy transition beyond technical solutions?
Methods: This study develops a cohesive approach that embeds the multiscale, multisectoral, multi-component, and multi-actor nature of PED development. A multi-criteria PED Matrix was created and refined using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and expert feedback to evaluate and benchmark PEDs across eight dimensions: social, governance, technical, process, environmental, legal, financial, and managerial.
This paper offers an in-depth account of how sustainable initiatives are assembled and function in practice, using the city of Cesena in Northern Italy as a case study. Located along the Savio River, Cesena’s cultural identity and urban development have long been shaped by its close relationship with the river and its surrounding biodiversity. This connection, however, has been increasingly tested by environmental crises, most notably the devastating flood that severely impacted the region in 2023. In response, the project aims to establish a collaborative public–private governance scheme that fosters closer cooperation between local residents, municipal authorities, and key stakeholders.
Presented at the ISOCARP conference in Toronto in 2023 and published in volume 1, this paper outlines how most energy transition projects have been
concentrating on technical aspects, with the implemented projects not fully reaching a net positive output throughout the year. The paper discusses methods and ways of involving citizens and communities in the pathways of PEDs.