“They look here” or “They would look here” (in Turkish: buraya bakarlar) is a poster you could only find in underground metro stations in Ankara back in the 2000s. It was a red poster that had one big eye and an eyebrow as if it was watching you on your way. Very dystopian at first, I thought it was a huge mystery in my childhood, but it was just a “place your advertisement here” incentive. But no advertisement was placed. “They look here” stood on billboards for years and marked Ankara. 

“They look here” still makes me feel something. That poster was so conspicuous in a way that people realized and were very well aware of the advertisement places. It attracted attention because the poster itself was something that made people look at it. 

May is an energetic month. Labor Day is celebrated, summer plans are being discussed, and the weather gets much warmer. In the May edition, we propose articles about slow travelling, social change, celebrating spring, plants, art, and pop culture.  While enjoying this month, the sun, and the energy, I also hope “they look here”.

Ece Nur Özkaya