Istancool bringing world culture to Turkey’s biggest city again

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

In its second year, the international festival of culture, Istancool, will once again host cultural figures from Turkey and around the world between May 27 and 29. The festival aims to connect the finest international cultural minds in the fields of art, design, fashion, film, music, literature and architecture with their counterparts in Turkey

With giants from the both the Turkish and international creative worlds, the second edition of the prestigious art, design, fashion, film, music, literature and architecture festival Istancool will run this weekend in Istanbul’s cultural heart.

The festival running from Friday to Sunday is a type of three-day cultural meeting program in the city, Demet Müftüoğlu Eşeli, Istancool’s creative director, told a press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday. Eşeli is collaborating with festival founder and artistic director Pablo Ganguli for the event while the festivities’ main sponsor is Vakko.

Istancool is a fascinating and unique cultural experience bringing together some of the world’s most talented writers, designers, editors, actors, poets, filmmakers, dancers and musicians in the city. Festival organizers said they were committed to creating a dynamic arts diplomacy program in the world and forging greater cultural relations between Turkey and the international artistic community.

The event, which is being organized in association with AnOther Magazine, has been made possible by British international cultural diplomacy festival organization Liberatum and Turkish creative agency Istanbul’74, which has previously brought other global events to Istanbul from the world of culture, art, film and fashion.

Eşeli said Istancool, which will be free, aimed to become an influential event in the fields of art, design, fashion literature, film and music.

A number of international participants are expected at this year’s edition, including Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton and director Terry Gilliam, the producer of films like “Brazil,” “12 Monkeys” and “Fear and Nothing in Las Vegas” who is famous for his animation work with the groundbreaking British comedy series Monty Python over 40 years ago.

Also attending are Michael Stipe, the soloist of REM; Kirsten Dunst, who is known for her role in films like “Spider Man,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and Melancholia, for which she won the Best Actress Award at the 64th Cannes Film Festival last weekend; British director, photographer and conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood; French fashion brand Givenchy’s creative director Riccardo Tisci; designer Haider Ackermann and musician Courtney Love.

From Turkey, actress Serra Yılmaz, director Reha Erdem and writer Murathan Mungan will deliver speeches at the event.

The festival will open Friday at the Vakko Fashion Center while the festival venues will include the Pera Museum and the Tophane-i Amire Cultural and Artistic Center.

The first edition of Istancool last year was significant and featured Zaha Hadid; Nobel Laureate Sir V.S. Naipaul; Hanif Kureishi; Gore Vidal; Franca Sozzani; Elif Şafak; Terence Koh; Jefferson Hack; Stephen Frears; Taner Ceylan; Daphne Guinness; Lily Cole; Philip Treacy; Bernard-Henri Levy; Leyla Umar and Michael Nyman.

Last year’s festival, which was hosted in July, also celebrated Istanbul’s status as the 2010 European Capital of Culture.

For further info, head to www.istancool.com.tr.

via Istancool bringing world culture to Turkey’s biggest city again – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review.