PAULINA AKBAY









    ABOUT

    Paulina Akbay (*1997 in Istanbul) is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker and researcher currently based in Cologne, Germany. They obtained an interdisciplinary media degree (BA) covering educational media research, media education and didactics, media cultural studies, media arts and artistic research as well as media psychology from the University of Cologne (UzK) back in 2020. Since the same year they are studying the Media Arts programme (diploma) at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM). They are engaging with a wide range of topics and materials there. Media covered by Akbay include photography, film, clay, drawing, painting, writing and more. Always open to explore new things they and their neurodivergence do not settle for only one medium or topic at the time, continuously searching for their next special interest.



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    Education
    since 2020 Diploma, Media Arts, Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM)

    WiSe 2023/24 MA, Erasmus+ exchange semester, Cross-Disciplinary Strategies, University of Applied Arts Vienna (die Angewandte)

    2016 - 2020 BA, Intermedia, University of Cologne (UzK)
    Work Experience WiSe 2025/26 Research Assistant at the Institute for Media Research and Media Pedagogy, TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences

    since 2025 Exhibition and Research Project “Melek Lampé”, TAM Museum x Munich City Museum

    WiSe 2024/25 Curation, Organisation of a Symposium and Hosting of a Talk, KHM x Festival - International Photoscene Cologne

    2022 - 2023 Student Assistant KHM, Press and Public Relations Academy of Media Arts Cologne

    SuSe 2020 Project Management and Hosting of the Talks, Student Council UzK, Lecture Series “Deconstructing (Neo-)Colonialism”

    2019 Internship Production Assistant, TAG/TRAUM Film Production

    2017 - 2019 Student Assistant UzK, GATEWAY Excellence Start-up Centre

    2013 Student Internship, Bavarian Broadcast/ Constantin Television


    Voluntary WorkArtist, Ambassador (NRW area) and Researcher at TAM Museum Berlin

    Exhibitions
    025 Exhibition at Karneval der Kulturen Berlin with Urbane Praxis e.V.

    2025 Group-Exhibition at Festival - International Photoscene Cologne

    2022 Solo-Exhibition for the Funded Fellowship “Projekt E.R.D.E.” at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne

    Grants/ Residencies/ Fellowships/
    Prizes & Awards     WiSe 2021/22 Funded Fellowship “Projekt E.R.D.E.” by the Academy of Media Arts Cologne

    Skills






    • Directing
    • Concept Creation
    • Photography
    • Editing
    • Research
    • Writing
    • Lighting
    SELECTED WORK






    Dilek Ağacı (2025)
    The project artistically researches identity and cultural transfer while navigating between fiction and documentary. It attempts to weave the wishes, memories and visions of the diaspora from Turkey in Germany into a single work, a wish tree. 

    Photos: Paulina Akbay & Melis Eda Poyraz


    Sculptures




    PhotographyPlease click “Photography” to see more.



    © Paulina Akbay