Didem Pekün (b. 1978, Istanbul) is an award-winning artist-filmmaker and academic based in London and Istanbul. She works across moving image, text, photography and theory.

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Both in her education and in her approach as an artist and educator, Didem’s work is characterized by a synthesis of theory and practice. She has made several works that address political violence, displacement, and their many intersections. Her films and installations are shown internationally at festivals, museums, and exhibitions.

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For her, both artistic practice and pedagogy have always been about becoming—ephemeral communities working together toward a shared goal. Whether on a film set, in a classroom, or in a garden with more-than-human collaborators, she is driven by work that is liberatory while also being ecodependent; thinking through the combination of the two is her core motivation.

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Didem received her BA (Hons) in Music from SOAS and holds an MA and a PhD in Visual Cultures from Goldsmiths. She has held fellowships at UdK Berlin, the Artistic Research Fellowship, and the Institute for Advanced Studies at Central European University. After faculty positions at CEU, Koç, Sabancı, and Boğaziçi universities, she currently teaches at Goldsmiths.

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Her works are featured in the collections of Van Abbemuseum, Kadist, and MAXXI, as well as in private collections.

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Didem also enjoys very dark chocolate, is studying evolutionary astrology, is interested in astronomy, and loves all animals.