Urban Istanbul

Here is some advice...

Walk of fame
Make your way over to Unkapanı and the infamous shopping mall of IMC, one of the modernization monuments of the city. This complex is a navigation point for the textile industry, clothing for Muslim women, construction materials, kitchy record shops and musical instruments. There in the midst of all you will find 5533. It is an independent gallery space for exhibitions, workshops and the occasional debate. They will be realizing a mapping project about independent art spaces of Istanbul and organizing guided tours around those in 2009.

Anonymous representation
It might be your last chance to see some of the reasons that makes Istanbul...alive. You should visit some of the neighborhoods struggling through the miserable urban renovation projects. Ali Taptık, a young architect and photographer, will be your guide in these neighbourhoods. His work taps into the relationship between people and their city. He can assist you in locating the expressive marks left on the ruins and renovations of this city. If you are really into it, I can guide you into some activist group's agenda.

Collecting
Initiated by Didem Özbek and Osman Bozkurt and staged in an ex-grocery/electrician store, PiST is a platform for independent artists and their initiatives. Since 2006, Didem and Osman have been trying to bring together artists through meetings and artist walks in addition to hosting exhibitions. One of their latest project: S.T. ARGEM.- Street Collectors Research and Development Centre aims to bring together street collectors, activists and artists to build up to discuss urban politics. May be a good chance to see how art relates to urban struggle through artistic practice.

Galata performs
Meet Kardelen Fincanci, who knows all about Galata Perform. This has been the house of a theatre group for years, but now it also houses artists of different styles and disciplines. This is the place in Istanbul for small, marginal and experimental art. It’s a platform for “free and authentic thought and action”. Since 2005 they’ve been organizing two major festivals, ‘open talks’ and ‘visibility’, during when many stores, houses, cafes and alternative art spaces in Galata opened their doors with hourly performances, talks, music and exhibitions.

Also go to Hafriyat. Hafriyat Karaköy is an exhibition space that is open to the local sensibilities, who want to experience the freedom limits of the Turkish art scene, also subgroups, civils with politics sensibilities and any structures outside the domination of the cultural industry, well described in their own words. Hafriyat Karaköy opened in 1st of may in 2007 as an independent venue by a group of artist with similar concerns who came togeher long ago under the name Hafriyat (excavetion) and since than they have been organising discussions, exhibitions, events and making publications. It hosted the first street art exhibition of Turkey and went on with their highly critical manners through consepts dealing with religion, politics and art market.

To ignore
Nothing much...

hang-outs
Peyote, Beyoğlu (indy,electronic scene)
Dogztar, Beyoğlu (bar, events)
Kargart, Kadıköy (exhibitions, events)

prizes
Beer €2,50
Taxi €7,50 (but use the metro)
English book: €8,00