Peter Clark will meet his readers at Homer Bookstore and sign his book ‘Istanbul: A Cultural History.’
British author Peter Clark will launch his book “Istanbul: A Cultural History” with a signing at Homer Bookstore on Thursday.
Clark first came to Istanbul in the early 1960s and has since been a regular visitor. He is a writer, translator and consultant and has worked for the British Council, mostly in Arab countries, for 30 years.
Clark found inspiration in the city’s history which began as Byzantium, then Constantinople before finally becoming modern-day Istanbul.
With its location as a port at the crossroads of continents, Istanbul and its ability to absorb ideas, people and styles from the north, south, east and west, as well as its long tradition as a multicultural microcosm of the world, sparked Clark’s creativity to write.
Clark looks at some of the representative personalities of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires and argues that these states had more in common than ideology-driven accounts may suggest. Readers learn about Spanish-speaking Jews, unexpected Ottoman connections with Poland, contemporary Islamist politics and the feverish support for the three major Istanbul football teams.
Both Leon Trotsky and Pope John XXIII spent important years of their lives in the city, and the book assesses the impressions of others who have passed through. Neither standard guide nor conventional history, the book is rather a celebration of an extraordinary city, reviewing its imperial histories and exploring some of its lesser-known corners.
Clark will sign his book at Homer Bookstore Thursday at 6 p.m.
Homer Bookstore, Yeni Çarşı Cad. No.12/A, Galatasaray
Director Annie Pertan has 25 years of experience in the film industry and produced several films with her late husband, Ersin Pertan.
‘The Colors of Cultural Differences,’ a new documentary focusing on non-Turkish cultural groups in Istanbul, will soon go into wider release. ‘The artists in the film talk about their relationship to Istanbul, to their community and to their art. I tried to make it as diverse as possible with poets, writers, painters,’ says director Annie Pertan
Director Annie Pertan has 25 years of experience in the film industry and produced several films with her late husband, Ersin Pertan.
Casting a light on the various ethnic and religious groups that call Istanbul home, a new documentary called “The Colors of Cultural Differences” is set for showing in various showings throughout the city in the near future.
“People should see ‘The Colors of Cultural Differences’ several times in order to understand the many levels presented,” director Annie Pertan recently told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. “The artists in the film talk about their relationship to the city of Istanbul, to their community and to their art. I talked to the heads of the various minority communities, except there aren’t so many Greeks left here any more. I tried to make it as diverse as possible – poets, writers, painters.”
The documentary, which was shown at Istanbul’s Zoğrafyon Lycee last week and the Swedish Consulate General on Monday, will be shown elsewhere in the coming days. The film was also produced with the assistance of the 2010 Istanbul European Capital of Culture Agency.
The production team had originally wanted to produce a project of six films, each of 60-90 minutes, that would cover all of Turkey – its minorities, their communities, their buildings, their history and the like, but the agency committee ruling on proposals suggested they only do one project, so they decide on “Colors,” Pertan said.
The documentary features 16 artists who were born and raised in Istanbul and tell of their continued love for the city from which they draw their inspiration.
Some of the best known artists included are Ara Güler, İzzet Keribar, Selim Sesler, Hayko Cepkin, Giovanni Scognamillo and Suzi Hug Levi.
All those featured speak against the background of the city – some of the shots are from the water, some from the air. Avoiding any glossing over of their difficulties of living in the city, the artists touch on the problems of life in Istanbul as a member of non-dominant ethnic or religious groups.
Ultimately, Pertan said the city was like ebru, the Ottoman art form in which colors are spread over a liquid mixture – never mixing, yet still creating a picture.
The project was filmed over a three-month period – March, April and May 2010 – using two cameras while the editing and sound track work was conducted in Denmark. Bobbie Pertan, meanwhile, was the co-director on the film and handled the technical details.
Pertan said she hoped to complete work on the film and subtitles before submitting the final production to various documentary festivals around the world.
Many years of experience in film industry
Born of a Norwegian father and a Greek mother in Istanbul, Pertan studied in Oslo and in Paris but later decided to settle in Istanbul.
Pertan has 25 years of experience in the film industry and started as an art director for an early Halit Refiğ television film, “Aşk-ı Memnu.”
She has also been a production designer and producer. Several of the films she produced were with her late husband, Ersin Pertan, who died last year.
The director said her next project would be “Istanbul – City of Miracles” – although the project is contingent upon finding financing. She said she would like to film places where miracles are said to have occurred, such as holy springs, türbes (shrines) and other such area, combining those scenes with interviews with people who have experienced miracles.
Deloitte publishes an accommodation report every year to evaluate the tourism sector. The latest issue, published in November, focuses on the accommodation sector in Europe. The report says Istanbul hotels have had an almost 73 percent occupancy rate and registered 10 percent growth in revenue per available room in 2010, thanks to its tenure as a European Capital of Culture
Deloitte report says those wanting to stay within the limits of the Euro region prefer Istanbul also because it is cheaper.
Deloitte report says those wanting to stay within the limits of the Euro region prefer Istanbul also because it is cheaper.
Istanbul hotels increased their revenue per available room nearly 10 percent in 2010 due to the city’s status as a European Capital of Culture for the year, according to a Deloitte report.
The report also said Istanbul hotels had an almost 73 percent occupancy rate.
Deloitte publishes an accommodation report every year to evaluate the global tourism sector. The latest issue published in November focused on the accommodation sector in Europe and the world. The report said developing countries’ economic recovery process accelerated, whereas growth in Europe was slower.
Deloitte Turkey Tourism and Entertainment Industries Leader Ahmet Cangöz said in the report that the events organized as part of the Capital of Culture project were not only an attraction for Istanbul residents, but also for foreigners.
“Particularly those who want to stay within the limits of the Euro region prefer Istanbul, both because it’s cheaper and because it presently is the culture capital. This is a great force contributing to Turkey’s tourism development plans. We predict that Istanbul will continue its performance next year.”
The report said the 10 percent growth in revenue per available room stemming from being a capital of culture occurred due to a 14 percent increase in occupancy rates.
According to the report, room prices were 4 percent lower in Istanbul and this reduction had a positive effect on occupancy rates in the last four months, “ as a consequence of which, the hoteliers now have the chance to increase their room prices.”
The report said the year was a great advantage for Turkey’s efforts in trying to make Istanbul rank seventh on the best destinations for tourists list of the U.N. World Tourism Organization by 2023.
Germany, England Europe’s tourism giants
Munich, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Cologne are on the list of the five fastest-growing hotel markets, with a 19 percent average growth rate, according to the report.
The report said average room prices in Germany grew 12.4 percent, while the occupancy rate increased from 50.9 percent to 62.9 percent. The report said the growth stemmed from events like fairs and conventions.
In London hotels, there was a similar increase, the report said, adding that the hotels in the U.K. capital registered a 12.2 percent growth in revenue per available room. The U.K. ranked highest in Europe in terms of room occupancy rates at 82 percent.
The report said the growth was due to the biannual Farnborough Air Show and Arabic tourists seeking cooler regions for shopping during the Ramadan bayram holiday.
Israel’s Tel Aviv was the only non-European city on the list, with a 17 percent growth rate, the report said.
By Maryam Homayoun Eisler, Benjamin Genocchio, Charmaine Picard, Scott Indrisek
Before the global financial crisis, the headline story was how dramatically both the profile and the value of works from Brazil, Russia, India, and China — the so-called BRIC countries — had risen. In fact, these can hardly be considered developing markets anymore, as witness Phillips de Pury’s creatively packaged sale this April dedicated to BRIC art (its first in the category), not to mention the record-breaking prices being paid for pieces by Chinese and Indian artists and the niche galleries opening in cities from New York to Sydney. So where are those collectors, dealers, and curators who gravitate toward the cutting edge looking now? There is a noticeable buzz surrounding four locations: Turkey, South Korea, Colombia, and Iran. All are experiencing remarkable bursts of creative energy accompanied by a surge in commercial interest both within and beyond their borders. In the pages that follow, we provide a snapshot of the vibrant cultural scene — including the artists, galleries, and patrons to watch — in each of these countries that seem poised to become the next big thing.
TURKEY
Located at the intersection of East and West, modernity and tradition, Turkey is perfectly situated to nurture a vibrant and politically engaged art scene. As the country grapples with reforms aimed at entry into the European Union and with establishing itself as an open, liberal Muslim democracy, Istanbul — a city of 13 million and the 2010 European Capital of Culture — has emerged as an exciting hub of contemporary art. The movement’s rich aesthetic forms deal with concepts of secularism versus religion and belonging versus individuality, all within the context of Turkish national identity.
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In addition to Istanbul, Turkey’s artistic scene is anchored by Ankara, Izmir, and Diyarbakir, but there is also a sizable diaspora. Overall, the number of active Turkish artists has swelled since the early 1980s, and a domestic network of galleries, museums, and nonprofits has emerged to support them. Video and installation artists Haluk Akakçe, 40, and Kutlug Ataman, 49, have been on the global art radar for some time, but thanks to exhibitions abroad, younger talents are now attracting attention. In London the Tate Modern has established a Middle East North Africa Acquisition Committee and begun buying Turkish artworks, including a video by Emre Hüner, 33, to join those by Fikret Atay, 34, already in the collection. Emerging artists work in every medium and genre, from the photographs referencing classical painting of Nazif Topçuoglu to the thought-provoking installations by Hale Tenger to Canan Tolon’s oil paintings, drawings, and environments invoking her architectural training.
Indicative of the growing support for art in Turkey, the 11th Istanbul Biennial had a record 101,000 attendance in September 2009, while last year the Istanbul Contemporary art fair attracted 52,000 visitors. The fair returns for its fifth year from the 25th to the 28th of this month; the 2011 biennial will be curated by Adriano Pedrosa and Jens Hoffmann.
If Turkish artists are very much in the world’s eye, the market for their works is so far free from speculation, and the affordable prices have attracted a new coterie of collectors. The Sotheby’s London sale in April, the house’s second dedicated to Turkish contemporary art, contained lots priced as low as $3,000, and 32 percent of buyers were new, versus 66 percent in 2009.
Population: 76,805,534 (July 2010 est.)
GDP: $874.5 billion
Average Per Capita Income: $11,400
(figures estimated for 2009 except where noted)
Key Galleries
C.A.M. Istanbul www.camgaleri.com
Cagla Cabaoglu Art Gallery Istanbul www.caglacabaoglu.com
Artist Şükran Moral is known for her provocative works.
Artist Şükran Moral is known for her provocative works.
Turkish contemporary artist Şükran Moral, who is known for her extraordinary and provocative works, made love with a female partner during her latest performance “Amemus” (Lovemaking) on Thursday at the Casa Dell Arte Gallery in Istanbul.
Guests at the event, who had no idea what they were about to see, were shocked when a young woman, wearing only a g-string and bra, went onto a bed on the stage and started to have sex with the artist Moral, who was wearing the same.
“Excuse me, but they had real sex in front of people; I mean it was not a fiction or anything,” said one of the viewers. Most of the audience left the venue in the first 10 minutes. “I was really embarrassed. Everyone was in shock,” said another guest. After 20 minutes, as viewers were leaving the venue, Moral was still having sex with her partner.
Speaking about the event, Moral said her performance did not have a singular purpose. “Generally speaking, the purpose was to bring a new expression to the language of performance art and of course to break taboos. My goal was to annoy the viewers of the performance. I don’t want to make a performance that does not annoy people and make them excited and confused.”
She said: “I have always had a problem with taboos in all my performances. Sexuality is one of the fields banned by governments. Making love in this performance is an artistic event. It is not a ‘sexual show’ but discussing a moral problem.”
Because of the reactions and for security reasons, Moral has canceled her exhibition of the same name, which was to feature photos of the performance and was scheduled to open Dec. 9.
Triston has introduced burlesque dancing to the Turkish entertainment sector.
EMIKO JOZUKAISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily NewsTriston is a multi-talented performance artist (dancer, DJ, event organizer and singer) opting to live in the lesser foreigner populated area of Tarlabaşı. He currently works as a creative arts director at the popular night club ‘The Hall.’ He organises various burlesque performances with his Berlin based dance group ‘Xares’ and set up a series of ‘underground’ parties in ‘Cherie’ at the Hall. Regularly nicknamed ‘Blade’ and ‘Michael Jackson’ on the streets, Triston is also working on his second publication about living in Istanbul.
Triston has introduced burlesque dancing to the Turkish entertainment sector.
The creative arts director and the brains behind “Cherie” at the Hall, Triston brings a breath of multicultural cool to the Istanbul night-club scene.
“This city is on the cusp of being a world class [creative] Mecca – I think that it is the next one. They’re ready for it, they’re hungry for it and I am here to feed them,” said Triston, an American.
Having spent time working as a male burlesque dancer, singer and writer in leading creative capitals such as Barcelona, Berlin and New York, Triston is a connoisseur of the entertainment and arts scene. Although he described Istanbul as the most difficult of any of the cities he has ever lived in, he seemed ready to embrace the challenge and bring his creative touch to the city.
An initial invitation to perform and dance at one of Turkey’s most hip clubs, 360 Istanbul, convinced Triston that Istanbul was the place to be for the next period of his creative career.
“When I first came here I intended to stay three weeks, and I’m still here. It’s a great city – the people are nice and they treat me very well. I don’t feel intimidated on the streets or harassed like I did in Germany sometimes. It’s just much more open. There’s a lot for me to learn here and a lot that I can give this city culturally.”
Bringing burlesque to Istanbul
Turkish audiences are receptive to what they don’t typically see, Triston said, but added that burlesque has proven to be too much for some to swallow.
“They think they know what they want but they’re not ready for it. I’ve had burlesque performers here and for some it was too much,” he said.
He pointed to one such incident during a private party thrown for Microsoft at 360. “I brought in a burlesque performer from Spain. They asked me specifically for a burlesque performer. Burlesque performers do a striptease and they wear tassels. They saw it and one person out of maybe 300 complained, so they cut short her last song,” he said.
Triston remained unfazed by the one negative response. He is sure that with the right promotion such occurrences may be avoided.
“The same weekend we came here to the Hall and we didn’t have any problems. I had a separate promotion that clearly stated how things would be – people knew what to expect,” he said.
The Michael Jackson factor
A seasoned traveler, Triston confessed that Istanbul has been the hardest city to adjust to both in terms of work ethics and in the way he looks.
“The procrastination levels are off the charts here – in my country you would be fired. I’ve lived in a lot of Mediterranean countries and it’s slower than any country that I’ve ever lived in. I still haven’t adjusted to the timing nearly a year later,” he said.
Triston, who is African-American, also commented on the strangeness of navigating around a city where nobody resembled him, explaining that it is not uncommon for him to be met with cries of “Michael Jackson” and “Blade” in the streets.
“It’s so strange to be in a city where when I walk around I never see anybody that looks like me. People always point and stare. I’m really in the minority here. There are some Africans here but it’s very rare for you to see an African-American. I’m like a unicorn here and that’s fine, I understand. People’s reactions aren’t going to change overnight. It will take some 10 to 20 years,” he said.
Despite the nicknames and frequent stares, Triston was quick to point out that none of this was meant in a derogatory way. He discussed some of the more serious difficulties that black people face in European countries which claim to be open, yet paradoxically remain more close-minded.
“If you’re Afro-German, you’re not considered German. I don’t like this. I taught in Germany and it just killed me to see children who were not considered German because one parent was not white. In Turkey this problem doesn’t exist. Here you can look Asian, or very European. I may look different but people aren’t telling me to get out of the country, or calling me ‘nigger’ on the streets. These were things that I heard in Germany,” he said.
All in all, Triston said he felt more human in Istanbul; he attributed the labels placed on him by Turks to people simply not knowing, as opposed to spite.
“I am treated like a human being here. More often Turkish people look like everything. I’ve seen some that are so richly red-headed, some are very blonde, some look very Asian, some are dark. I like that. They don’t try and eliminate branches because of what they look like. It’s closer to what I grew up with in America,” Triston said.
Tarlabaşı living
Explaining that he had encountered more cries of “Michael Jackson” in the foreigner-dominated Cihangir neighborhood, Triston said he preferred to live in Tarlabaşı. He commented on how he is less bothered in his neighborhood, as locals are more surprised to see a foreigner living on their street.
“When I go to my house they don’t yell at me or bother me because they are more shocked to find a foreigner living there. They are much nicer, friendlier, they speak hospitably to me and they don’t scream at me,” he said.
Yet he still raises eyebrows among his Turkish friends when he tells them where he is living.
“When I tell my Turkish friends that I’m living there they comment on how dangerous it is. It’s not dangerous but I understand their perception. When you live in an area where there are a lot of foreigners eventually the area gentrifies and gets nicer. I will bet my life that where I live now the prices will be twice as much as today in less than 10 years, probably five,” he said.
Poetry readings
Having just obtained his residency permit, Triston is set to stay in Istanbul for as long as he feels that he is creatively inspired. While simultaneously planning some upcoming music and dance events at “Cherie,” Triston is working on the publication of his second book and recording an album with his band.
He is currently organizing a poetry reading event called “Verses” where people can get together and talk about their Istanbul experiences in the poetic form. “Verses” will take place Dec. 9 and 23 at the Hall, Hüseyinağa Mah., Küçük Bayram Sokak 7.
Peter Clark will meet his readers at Homer Bookstore and sign his book ‘Istanbul: A Cultural History.’
