Erdal Kara met us at the “Tophane Cannon Factory” to show us
the exhibition space that the Academy might have for a future show. It is a
remarkable space that was the site of the Ottoman Empire’s cannon production.
There is one room that was used exclusively to pour iron for thirty-foot
cannons. It is now a bookstore with a glass ceiling where the foundry once was.
The exhibition space is extraordinary with one hundred foot ceilings and more
room than we could possibly use.
Next we went on a brief tour of the contemporary gallery
world in Istanbul. Now that the Biennial has put the city on the International
art world map, galleries have been springing up all over the city.
There was a
vibrant range of video, painting and installation at Galeri NON, PG Gallery and
Elipsis. Representational art still holds a primary place in the exhibitions
that we saw and the faculty at Mimar Sinan were well represented.
Erdal, Janice and I met Ali Bilge at Istanbul Modern. The
name implies that this is a public institution but it is really the collection
of a single family. I suppose this isn’t any different from the beginnings of
MOMA and its relationship to the Rockefellers. One of the curious things about
the art scene in Turkey is that its contemporary iteration is relatively new. “Modern” can refer to anything contemporary or anything that appears to address
modernist issues. The Museum is beautifully laid out with ample room for a
large, diverse and very good selection of works by artists who were completely
new to me. Very exciting!
Erdal had to leave us at this point so we said our goodbyes
to our gentle, warm, talented and very informed new friend.
Ali, Janice and I had drinks on the Bosphorus and discussed
politics, art and life in general. Ali is a very progressive Turk and he has an
incredible grasp of global politics and the role that Turkey plays in the larger
art world.
He challenged us to eat what he referred to as “dirty street food”
(usually not a good idea for someone with a sensitive stomach.) Still we took
the bait and ate really delicious meat-filled Tantuni and amazingly we are no
worse the wear for it. We spent the rest of the evening gallery hopping and
enjoying the nightlife in Istanbul.
This was our last night and it was great to
just stroll around on Istiklal Avenue and take in the vibe of this really warm
and lively culture. I personally believe
that if we get this residency to happen, whoever goes from the Academy will be
very, very lucky.
Check
back for future blog posts on the rest of Peter's trip scouting Istanbul
for a future artist-in-residence program for Academy students.
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