“İstanbul’da Yaşıyor ve Çalışıyor” Projesi

Gunes Nasuhbeyoglu
They lived in Istanbul, worked in Istanbul and produced for Istanbul…
ISTANBUL, A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR GLOBAL CULTURE, GAINS A UNIQUE CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTION

The “Lives and Works in Istanbul” project, overseen by the Visual Arts Directorate of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency has, since August 2008, hosted six of Europe’s leading contemporary artists and given them the opportunity to create unique pieces for Istanbul.
These six noted artists spent numerous weeks in Istanbul, organizing workshops during which local artists created works that, in 2010 and beyond, will be one of the most important and lasting legacies bequeathed to Turkish contemporary art by the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency.
The fruits of this important project will be on display at Sanat Limanı throughout October.
The “Lives and Works in Istanbul” project, which the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency initiated as part of its efforts to improve Istanbul’s artistic infrastructure and offer artists expanded opportunities for productivity, hosted famous contemporary artists who made important contributions to the development of global contemporary art in the second half of the 20th century in Istanbul, the European Capital of Culture, between October 2008 and the first half of 2010.
Within the scope of the project, which was undertaken by the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency Visual Arts Directorate, six prominent artists: Remo Salvadori (Italy), Sophie Calle (France), Victor Burgin (England), Peter Kogler (Austria), Danae Stratou (Greece), Antoni Muntadas (Spain-USA), were invited to Istanbul.
The “Lives and Works in Istanbul” project made it possible for artists from European countries who have been responsible for important conceptual and formalistic innovations in their disciplines to live in Istanbul, interact with local artists and intellectuals, and hold workshops with young artists. The works created during this process form a special collection, which is one of the most central legacies that the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency will leave not only to Istanbul but also to Turkish contemporary art.
The Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency’s Legacy to Turkish Contemporary Art
The “Lives and Works in Istanbul” project, in which internationally recognised contemporary artists from different countries and cultures came together with Turkish artists to produce a variety of works as part of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Year, ranks among the most important and lasting of the Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency’s contributions to contemporary art in Turkey.
The project is of particular importance, because it fulfils key principles of the Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency, including supporting creative individuals, revitalising the infrastructure of artistic and cultural production, and strengthening the contemporary art community’s international network of communication.
Pieces produced by the 49 artists from Turkey who took part in workshops conducted by leading international artists during the “Lives and Works in Istanbul” product go on display at Sanat Limanı starting on October 1st and can be viewed through October 31st.
Istanbul Art-lovers Can Enjoy the Output of the Project throughout October
Sophie Calle’s piece combining photographs and text, “La Derniere Image/The Last Image”, goes on display at Sanat Limanı along with works by “Lives and Works in Istanbul” workshop participants, opening on October 1st and running through October 31st.
Art-lovers will have the chance to see Victor Burgin’s “A Place to Read” for the first time at the opening to be held at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum on October 2nd. The piece, which takes an archaeological perspective on Sedad Hakkı Eldem’s “Şark Kahvesi”, redesigning it and creating a 3D model of it, will be on exhibition through October 31st.
The gala performance of Antoni Muntadas’s Istanbul film “On Translation: Açık Radyo” will be held at the Istanbul Modern on October 7th.
The exhibition, which includes Remo Salvadori’s work entitled “Continuous, Infinite, Present”, Peter Kogler’s “Untitled: Istanbul Carpet” produced by Merinos and Danae Stratou’s “Vital Space: Istanbul”, which will be incorporated in her project “Vital Space”, which spans seven different countries, will open at Tophane-i Amire on October 22nd and be on display through November 11th.
All of the works produced within the framework of the “Lives and Works in Istanbul” project are being registered as part of Istanbul’s first publicly-owned international contemporary art collection.
Beral Madra, the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency’s Visual Arts Director, who developed the concept for the project and also coordinated it says, “The “Lives and Works in Istanbul” project is an example of Turkey’s efforts, since the beginning of the 1990s, not only to take its place but also to have a say in the global culture industry. It is a test of whether Istanbul, in a global sense, appeals to and inspires artists. In the works produced by these six artists and the Turkish artists who worked with them, we can see the concepts, thoughts and images presented by Istanbul. The six artists went beyond the clichéd image of Istanbul, orientalism and a Euro-centric perspective, getting to know the essential Istanbul and, through Istanbul, Turkey. In time we will observe the positive effects and results of this process. The 49 Turkish artists who took part in workshops with these renowned artists underwent a process of redefining and evaluating Istanbul, producing new works within this context. The Visual Arts Directorate team, which successfully undertook this major project, gained important experience.”
“LIVES AND WORKS IN ISTANBUL” WORKSHOP: PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Remo Salvadori; Hera Büyüktaşçıyan, Ayşe Doğan, Özge Enginöz, Eser Epözdemir, Sine Ergün, Ozan Gezer, Candan İnan, Burçak Konukman, Ayhan Mutlu, Ali İbrahim Öcal, Beyza Tükel
Antoni Muntadas; Mehmet Dağ, Özerk Ergenç, Arzu Kuşaslan, Pablo Martínez Muñiz , Güneş Oktay, Suat Öğüt, Esen Gökçe Özdamar, Ercan Vural, Eşref Yıldırım
Victor Burgin; Ahmet Atıf Akın, Murat Germen, Deniz Gül, Koray Kantarcıoğlu ,Evrim Kavcar ,Nazlı Eda Noyan, Melisa Önel, Can Pekdemir, Serkan Taycan
Peter Kogler; Ahmet Albayrak, Sevgi Arı, Özgül Arslan, Bengisu Bayrak, Merve Şendil, Candaş Şişman, İrem Tok, Berkay Tuncay,
Danae Stratou; Cem Gencer, Sibel Horada, Cemile Kaptan, Nazlı Pektaş, Timur Sezgin, Yasemin Nur Toksoy
Sophie Calle; Volkan Aslan , Seda Hepsev ,Gözde İlkin, İz Öztat, Ani Setyan