re.reading + de.coding: istanbul

Exhibition
16. May 2009 - 30. June 2009
DAZ Taut Saal

OPENING 15.05.2009

18 PM Short Lectures, DAZ_Taut Saal
Opening speech: S.E. Ahmet Acet, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey
Lecture by Pelin Dervis, Director Garanti Gallery, Istanbul.
Followed by short-lectures of the architects from the exhibition ‘7 Architects from 7 Hills’, presented by Dr. Suha Ozkan.
Speakers: Emre Arolat, Can Cinici, Mehmet Kutukcuoglu & Ertug Ucar Teget Architectural Office), Sevki Pekin, Nevzat Sayin, Murat & Melkan Tabanlioglu Tabanlioglu Architects), Han Tumertekin.

20 PM Opening of the exhibition
Speakers:
Ingeborg Junge-Reyer, Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Urban Development
Mustafa Pulat, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey
Ute Weiland, Deputy Director of Alfred Herrhausen Society
Pelin Dervis, Curator of the exhibition ‚Becoming Istanbul‘, Director Garanti Gallery, Istanbul
Dr. Suha Ozkan, Curator of the exhibition ‚7 Architects from 7 Hills‘, Chairman World Architecture Community

This exhibition does not describe Istanbul. Neither does it depict its history, its contemporary architectural environment which is gradually becoming more animated and productive, its complex social and economic structure or its becoming the focus of a popular culture of almost unparalleled richness. The exhibition is prepared with the purpose of visualizing Istanbul’s present state.

It consists of an interactive audiovisual database on contemporary Istanbul and a 16 - minute complementary film titled ‘Mapping Istanbul’. Both attempts to look at Istanbul from multiple perspectives and free of all the familiar clichés. In doing this, the database, instead of producing and placing new stereotypes opposite those clichés, forms its own structure by instrumentalizing the clichés themselves. Media accessed through includes works by artists, architectural projects, videos, photographs, cartoons and essays. Users accessing these works produced in the last 10 years will have the chance to perceive the conditions and actors forming today’s Istanbul. There are 408 visual groups under the 80 sub-headings featured on the database. More than 7000 visuals were accumulated for the project. ‘Mapping Istanbul’ constitutes an important source supporting the understanding of the city and the contemporary view the exhibition presented, at times completely overturning cliché judgments.

Becoming Istanbul
Istanbul was not always Istanbul. It has been Byzantium, Constantinopolis, in the mid-Byzantine period it was simply Polis, in the Ottoman period it was Kostantiniyye, Ýslambol and Dersaadet, and many other things; but it was never only Istanbul. Each toponymic change is a manifestation of radical differentiation in the urban space and a change in its social meaning. From the beginning of the 19th century on, the traditional cosmopolitanism, the plurality of which was formed from the sum of a series of fixed singularities, faced erosion. Although ideological engagements pointed in the opposite direction, the new cosmopolitanism of the city was slowly being constructed in place of the crumbling traditional politanism. The city of fixed communities and statuses, where inflow and outflow was strictly controlled now set out to become a city shaped by the countless parameters of individualities, preferences, expressions, interests, groupings and separations. The city obtained the pluralism of a metropolis. It became an environment of “spontaneous freedom” where the oppression of recurrent totalitarian orientations has collided with the common pluralism of the metropolis. This characteristic of the city is becoming increasingly evident. The ironic aspect of the process is how this modern metropolis singularized its name although it opened itself up to the outward expression of pluralities. Today, for everyone, it is only Istanbul. During the phase of homogenization, which began in the 1920s and the phase of becoming plural, pluralist and cosmopolitan which began in the 1980s, the city forgot its countless old names. It generalized the name Istanbul, which was least political, least religious and least ethnical among the names in use. It became Istanbul. It became a category where countless existences and meanings could be produced and placed under a single name, yet could never be filled. This is exactly what the title of the exhibition is pointing to. These countless existences and meanings are presented to the viewer and the reader in a plural milieu.

BECOMING ISTANBUL is a project of Garanti Gallery originally realized for the German Architecture Museum (DAM Frankfurt) and is curated by Pelin Dervis, Bülent Tanju and Ugur Tanyeli. The exhibition at DAZ is supported by the Alfred Herrhausen Society, the international Forum of Deutsche Bank.It takes place within the 20th anniversary of the city partnership Berlin-Istanbul and is under the patronage of the Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Urban Development, Ingeborg Junge-Reyer.

More Information about
Deutsches Architekturmuseum
Alfred Herrhausen Society
Berlin-Istanbul 2009

WEBSITE: http://wwx.baunetz.de/sixcms_4/sixcms/detail.php?object_id=29&area_id=2816&id=1521463&template_id=10186

Urban Age Award Istanbul - Please contact me if you have any project information-

I have been currently on the distribution of Urban Age Award announcement for Istanbul. If you know any projects, or aware of any works ongoing please contact with me. We are about to name all our jury members very soon!

Son zamanlarda Urban Age Odulunun duyurulmasi icin calisiyorum kesintisiz. Eger konuyla ilgili bir proje biliyorsaniz veya yapilan calismalardan haberiniz var ise lutfen benimle iletisime gecin. Cok yakinda tum juri uyelerimizi de duyacaksiniz!

27 Nisan, 2009

URBAN AGE AWARD ISTANBUL 2009

Size Urban Age Award İstanbul 2009 ile ilgili bilgi vermek ve bu duyuruyu mümkün olabildiğince yayabilmek için yazıyorum.

Geçtiğimiz haftalarda basında çıkan haberlerde de duymus olabileceğiniz üzere bu sene 4-6 Kasım tarihleri arasında, Urban Age İstanbul Konferansı ve Urban Age Award, Deutsche Bank Alfred Herrhausen Society ve London School of Economics and Political Science işbirliği ile dünya kentlerinin geleceğini konu alan arastırmaların yürütüldüğü Urban Age Projesi kapsamında gerçekleştiriliyor.

100.000 $ tutarındaki “Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award’’(Ödül), kentlerde yasayan dünya nüfusunun yarısının karşı karşıya kaldığı problemlerin farkedilmesi ve yaratıcı çözümlerin desteklenmesi amacıyla veriliyor. Bu nedenle ödül, bölge sakinlerinin gündelik hayatlarını kolaylaştıran ve yaşam çevresini iyileştiren projeleri gün ışığına çıkarmayı hedefliyor. “Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award” kentlileri, yerel yönetimleri, özel sektör ve sivil toplum örgütlerini biraraya getiriyor ve ‘’Kentleşme Çağı’’olan 21. yüzyılda toplumu, yaşadıkları şehirlerde aktif rol üstlenmelerini ve ortak sorumluluk almalarını teşvik ediyor.

Bu anlamda ödül tamamen sivil toplum girişimlerine yönelik. Toplumun kendi kendisine çözüm üretebilme, bir araya gelerek yasadıkları ortamlarda yaptıkları güzelleştirme, iyileştirme çalışma ve çabalarına bir karşılık vermeyi hedefliyor. Bu anlamda örneğin bir mahalle örgütünün, sokakları güzelleştirme adına yapmakta olduğu çalışmalar, veya çocukların gelişimine yönelik tamamen sivil katılım ile oluşturulmus park ve oyun alanları ve benzeri çalışmalar ödüle başvuru gönderebiliyor. Bu yarışma kesinlikle kentsel dönüşüm, mimari veya şehir planlama projelerini taçlandırmayı hedeflemiyor. Aksine ödül katılımın, demokratik toplumlardaki önemi üzerinde duruyor. Bireyler toplum ve topluluk bilinci ile hareket ederek gerçekleştirdikleri çalışmaları ile ödüle hak kazanıyor. Bu nedenle Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award'un oldukça önemli olduğu kanısındayız.

Alfred Herrhausen Society Direktörü Wolfgang Nowak, Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award misyonunu “Bir kenti yönetmek, farklılıkları idare edebilmektir. Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award bireylerin farklılıkları aşıp, birlikte hareket ederek kendi yaşadıkları kentler için sorumluluk almalarını teşvik etmektedir.” diye açıkliyor.

http://www.alfred-herrhausen-gesellschaft.de/uaa_istanbul.html
http://www.urban-age.net/03_conferences/conf_istanbul.html
http://www.alfred-herrhausen-gesellschaft.de/en/637.html (2008 Urban Age Award Sao Paulo kazanan proje)

Eğer çevrenizde bu tür yapılan çalışma, uygulanan projeler var ise, üyesi olduğunuz sivil toplum kuruluşu bu kapsamda uygulamalara imza atıyor ise, toplum içi katılım sayesinde yürütülen ve toplumsal ve mekansal geri dönüşümü sağlanmis projeler biliyorsanız lütfen bizimle bağlantıya geçiniz.

Yarışma için başvurularınızı 11 Eylül tarihine kadar gönderebilir, başvuru ve detaylı bilgileri yukarıdaki linklerden alabilirsiniz.

27 Şubat, 2009

brainstorming for the city of istanbul

the turkish newspaper "radikal" on 21st february published a series of interview with artists, architects, planners, caricaturists, designers, and journalists. The interview consisted 4 questions in total. Who do you think will be the new mayor of istanbul? who you would like to see as the mayor of istanbul? if you would have the chance to choose 5 names, who would you select for developing an advisory council for the municipality and why? can you give any projects for the city of istanbul?

the newspaper asked the basic questions when no one can answer them during the campaigns for istanbul. Unfortunately none of the candidates are capable of giving a self critic for the positives and negatives of the city, and none of them are giving a speech for how do they see the future of the city. the citizens are tired of listening the daily chaos of the elections, parties, debates, accusations, new trials, new cases and etc. that's why i appreciate the work of the radikal newspaper and translate to here just some very catchy answers for you all to discuss and dream for even more...

here the selection of names and the answers below:

Gorgun Taner (IKSV general director)

3. Murat Belge, Melih Fereli, Akin Ongor, Kemal Dervis, Han Tumertekin. I chose these people out of the names who has the vision to develop the future 20 years of Istanbul, knows how to protect the cultural heritage and sustain them for the future.
4. To transform the galataport area for the culture and art valley and open it for the public use.

Halil Ergun (Actor)

3. As served to municipalities before I should tell that this job is very hard. But the best person to do it would be the person who lives in the city. The advisory board should be from the locals in my opinion, the true wisdom comes from the locals/inhabitants.
4. In Istanbul there are too many empty plots. Before the construction cannibals fill in the spaces, they should be organized as culture and art facility areas. They should be open to the public, and by participation the cultural activities should be taking places at. In cities the barbarian living styles should not find any place and Istanbul should be a city of culture and art.

Tan Morgul (Former editor of Istanbul Journal, journalist)

2. Since they say “Istanbul is a world (wide) city” then the most important player means the mayor can easily be import from abroad. I think this should be… My suggestion is starting from Brasil and today globally known figure the former mayor to implement participatory-transparent-democratic model in Porto Alegre, Tarso Genro. The reasons are clear, firstly he is a real local governor, neither a businessman or transferred from the parliament. He is out of the desadvantages of being from here as well as he has many advantages of not being from here. He wouldn’t have any relations with either the political or economical rates. Already, due to his governing structure, the decision making mechanism would be all the time the public, the job he needs to do is only to easier the system/procedure. It would be what needs to be done.
3. Another smart example continues with Cordoba, Spain. Over years the council who implements and governs the city’s water system, including political party representatives, organizations, academicians and ngo councils, with no municipal authority to take part and this council should be the practical advisory council. Tardo Genro is already aware of the system too. On the other hand there should be an ethical council. These people should represent both the city and the citizens as well as the testing council of the governing figures. They should be “old minded” since when the subject is the city those old minded society are much effective in teaching to those “new minded”onesin terms of conscious, ethics, and digestion. For example Ilhan Tekeli, Ugur Tanyeli, Murat Belge, Aydin Boysan, Haluk Gercek, etc. But there should be more and they should be changeable and this council should have no right to be dismissed.
4. I can say not one but more, and even if someone is curious I can give details.
a. At the bosphorus a horizontal, and at the bosphorus waterfronts should be integrated into transportation system vertically.first one is sea transportation and the second one is rail trasnporation. From Eminonu to Sariyer, From Kadikoy to Beykoz the sea transportation should be possible. From the main node ports towards the inner city locations the transportation should be done via metro systems. Even exacurated at the waterfront traffic, there should be a private car limitation. To talk about a third bridge over the bostphorus should be prohibited.
b. a special attention and projection should be given on our “short temper” which converts the city to a clicking bomb. Especially the public spaces such as public transportation, city squares and etc. there should be publicly watched or listened funny/comic projects presented in order to absorb the anger of the society. The Arzu Film tradition, “Hababam Sinifi” or “Neseli Gunler” should be screened at all the public transportation vehicles. Streets should become safer and accessible for elderly generation, kids, women, animals and all the others. It is sure that with all those people who are the thresholds of our tolerance and resistance, we would much become a human being. Otherwise it is clear how we now do look like whilst being alone with ourselves as adults.
c. An international public university in the fields of “city governance”should be developed for undergraduate and graduate studies at the Halic Shipyards location. From all over the world the examples of “local governance” should be collected, to be thought and learned. This would lead the shipyard location to be upgrade, so as the upgraded would upgrade. Since the future will become the world of cities, it is better off to the subject from now. All the rights are open to public and any local governor can use them unless making a rate out of it.

Bihter Ayda Pekin (Jewellery Designer)

3. First names that I can imagine are Ilber Ortayli, Burhan Dogancay, Murat Belge, Betul Mardin,. Cetin Altan, Oktay Ekinci because they proved how much they concern.
4. Implementation of the current Istanbul Master Plan should be done and for controlling the implementation if needed some teams could be transformed, and the current departments should be strengthened. There should be limitations for the advertisement panels. Sea transportation should be state owned again and the planning should be redone. The transportation within the bosphorus should be limited at the both sides on the highways that are on hold with a lot of buses and instead should be mostly done via sea route. The symbols of the bosphorus the “vapur”s should not be diminished. The classes for some few private schools about the environmental conscious should be a must in all the primary schools. Recycling tanks for especially liquid oil, batteries and all the recyclables should be fixed at houses or businesses. Bicycle/motorcycle routes should be implemented.

Erhan Demirdizen (Urban Planner, Istanbul Chamber of Urban Planners Director)

1. Still there are 40 days nearly for the elections and I don’t know how the candidates will use this period, but it looks like unfortunately the results of the elections will not have a close relationship between the Istanbul’s problems and the quality of solution proposals of the candidates, this is pity. The discussions unfortunately overlays this. In this manner I cannot make an objective critic currently.
2. The transportation and the economic problems of Istanbul grow rapidly. We should also add the earthquake and unplanned developments to those. All these problems as a whole should be studied within a correct urban planning approach, without using or loosing the natural or governmental reserves by the Istanbul metropolitan municipality. While doing this unnecessary rapid movements should be far away since they have the capacity to decrease the quality of the already done work. Thus, besides looking at Istanbul’s problems from a distance, the mayor should have the characteristics of asking and proposing solutions with the experts. As a mayor, it is very important to bring the municipality into an institutionalized position. This is the mayor I would like to have.

So who can say we as citizens are not related to the city and not concerned about the problems or not thinking or creating solutions as where all the local power starts. Today, Istanbul is facing a historical moment I believe, due to the elections at the door, but moreover due to its athmosphere that opened up the doors of discussions democratically. Personally I dont expect a change in the voting polls but I do expect more respect, more open platforms for THE citizens and a better debates, where participation takes more place in decision making and where todays utopic seen projects could create a base on the table fr a future of Istanbul.

20 Şubat, 2009

what comes next for the city of Istanbul?

what kind of developments taking place in the city? approaches within the system and applications, implementations and protests? to be described very soon by demet mutman and the team of urban age 2009