contributors

What will happen to Taksim square?

On Işıl Eğrikavuk’s performance

Rights & dissentUrban change Istanbul

Istanbul artists enjoy analysing trends in urban transformation. Since Turkey’s $400 billion urban transformation project began on October 5, with the demolition of 3,900 buildings at 75 locations in 35 cities using explosives and bulldozers, the word “transformation” has come to sit at the heart of artistic debates.

Disoriented paintings

The way of Taner Ceylan

Culture Istanbul

The magic and art of Taner Ceylan — known as Turkey’s contemporary “rich” artist, selling his works for hundreds of thousands of lira.

Play-doh and pigs

Hamra Abbas in Istanbul

Culture Istanbul

Istanbul’s Pilot Gallery is currently exhibiting a different kind of portraits. It is the work of Pakistani artist Hamra Abbas, born in Kuwait and currently splitting her time between Boston and Islamabad, who uses play-doh to comment on society.

What I love

Criticising art and society

Culture Istanbul

What I love brings together the recent works of 10 young Turkish artists, ranging from sculptures to videos, as well as 3-D site-specific works.

Regenerate degenerate

CultureUrban change Istanbul

Three Istanbul artists on how to survive in a city that continues to expand at breakneck pace.

Extra-Struggle

Turkey's artistic healing

CultureRights & dissent Istanbul

Since 1997, Extramücadele or Extrastruggle’s provocative art has set out to tell a long and extensive story, an “autobiography of Turkey”.

Destruction banquet

Surrealism in the capital of chaos

Culture Istanbul

Destruction 2011, a current art installation in Istanbul aims to deconstruct conventional ways of dealing with global problems.

Critical stages

Istanbul's independent theatre venues

Culture Istanbul

Now is the time to fight, shout, curse, play, run and jump on stage: independent venues are taking the theatre scene in Istanbul.

Small is beautiful

Independent art venues in Istanbul

Culture Istanbul

Despite all the hassles, some Istanbul art spaces manage to stay independent and create their own artistic values. We will make you discover four of them.