Heartbreak bostan

The ongoing destruction of Istanbul's cultural heritage

By John Scott | July 8, 2013


YEDİKULE YEDİKULE YEDİKULE!  Before reading this, fling open your window, fill your lungs with air and bellow 'Yedikule!' three times very fast. For anyone in earshot who ever called Istanbul home, it will bring a tear to the eye. Now sit down and brace yourself. This is yet another sad...
Posted in Architecture, Culinary Arts, History, News, - Gezi Protests, Travel

!f Istanbul: The Arts Diary Preview

By Cornucopia TR | February 20, 2011

This review must begin by examining the joke of a title that is !f Istanbul Independent Film Festival. What makes this festival independent?  Is it that it is run by AFM Cinemas, Turkey’s largest cinema chain which generally ignores anything resembling independent film? Or perhaps we can thank its primary...
Posted in Film

Workshop on Mediterranean urbanism

By Cornucopia TR | February 18, 2011

Something which came to our attention via the ever-informative H-Islamart website: "I am looking for a workshop co-director with whom I would like to collaborate and propose a workshop for the 13th Mediterranean Research Meeting to take place in Florence from 21-24 March 2012. My tentative title for the workshop...
Posted in Talks and Lectures

Lecture at the Swedish Research Institute

By Cornucopia TR | February 18, 2011

On 22 February, Professor Edhem Eldem (above) will give a talk at the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, entitled "From Tughra to Coat of Arms: Redefining Ottoman State Symbolism." This will consider the changing ways in which the Ottomans sought to define themselves through visual means, whether as Islamic rulers...
Posted in Talks and Lectures

“I’m Shocked But I’m Not Surprised” - Ekin Saçlıoğlu at X-ist

By Cornucopia TR | February 18, 2011

(Ekin Saçlıoğlu, Coelocanth (To Be Assumed Nonexistent For 65 Million Years), 2011) Until 19 March, X-ist will be showing works by new Turkish artist Ekin Saçlıoğlu. Bright, visually arresting compositions are the order of the day here, but the paintings are not terribly exciting. Extremely decorative and eye-catching, but they...
Posted in Contemporary Art

Gazelli Art House: Fired Up

By Cornucopia TR | February 16, 2011

February 10th saw the launch of the first exhibition from the newly founded Gazelli Art House in London. The Gazelli Art House, founded and managed by the young Azeri curator Mila Askarova, presented Fired Up, the first in a series of exhibitions to be shown during 2011. Later this year,...

Turkish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale: Ayşe Erkmen

By Cornucopia TR | February 16, 2011


It was recently announced that that Ayşe Erkmen has been chosen by IKSV to represent Turkey at the 54th Venice Biennale later this year (June 4 - November 27, 2011). Erkmen was chosen by the curator Fulya Erdemci; Erkmen and Erdemci will collaborate with curator Danae Mossman and industrial designer...
Posted in Contemporary Art, Exhibitions, News

‘Hotel Sarkis’

By Cornucopia TR | February 15, 2011

From 16 February until 8 May, the Mamco modern and contemporary art museum in Geneva will be hosting a retrospective by conceptual artist Sarkis. Unusually for this venue, all four floors have been given over to a single exhibition, but this is no normal show. Of the two hundred or...
Posted in Contemporary Art

Assyrians at Aya Irini

By Cornucopia TR | February 14, 2011

 How do you feel about archaeology? Not terribly excited at the prospect of clay shards, stone tools and impenetrable display captions? Well, think again. In an attempt to get people interested in what's buried beneath our feet, nearly five hundred exquisite pieces recovered from the ancient city of Kanesh (modern-day...
Posted in Fine Art

BBC Radio 4: Bosphorus

By admin | February 10, 2011

Cornucopia readers the world over will be pleased to hear that BBC Radio 4 is currently airing a fantastic three part series on the Bosphorus, charting its history and importance to the city and the world. Presented by Ed Stourton, and with contributions from John Freely, Demet Sabanci and Ayse...

Ayşe Erkmen talk at Arter

By Cornucopia TR | February 10, 2011

 On 11 February, as part of the series of talks being given by artists featured in their Second Exhibition, Arter will be hosting Ayşe Erkmen. Her eye-catching piece J, K, & H (above), which fills the windows of the Beyoğlu gallery, will be the focus of the lecture. A site-specific...
Posted in Contemporary Art, Talks and Lectures

In Memoriam - Murad Megalli

By Cornucopia TR | February 9, 2011

We are saddened to report the news that Murad Megalli, best known to Cornucopia readers as a collector of textiles (see issue 44), was killed in a plane crash in northern Iraq on 5 February along with six others. He recently donated his spectacular collection of Central Asian ikats (see...

Ali Kazma at Arter

By Cornucopia TR | February 8, 2011

This coming Saturday, artist Ali Kazma will be giving a talk at Arter, İstiklal's largest and most visible art space. His O.K. is one of the highlights of Arter's"Second Exhibition", which will run until 27 February. The talk will cover his artistic practices, the Obstructions series and the production process...
Posted in Contemporary Art, Talks and Lectures

Hussein Chalayan and Puma at Selfridges, London

By Cornucopia TR | February 8, 2011

Fresh from the success of a recent retrospective at Istanbul Modern, Hussein Chalayan has turned his hand to wowing London's shoppers. As part of a collaboration with Puma, the 'Urban Mobility' collection will be presented at the Selfridges flagship store in a one-off installation by acclaimed advertising agency Everyone Associates....

Sakıp Sabancı calligraphy galleries reopened

By Cornucopia TR | February 7, 2011

Having temporarily been forced to vacate its galleries at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum to make way for the Jameel Prize show, the world-class calligraphy collection held there has now returned to its rightful place. Not only is the original selection on display, but new pieces have been added, including works...
Posted in Islamic Art

Study art in New York

By Cornucopia TR | February 7, 2011

The Moon and Stars Project, the Turkish Cultural Foundation and the School of Visual Arts will be offering one lucky individual the chance to study and exhibit in New York this summer. From 31 May to 1 July, the winner will work in a private Manhattan studio, have their work...
Posted in Contemporary Art

Turkish art and culture lecture series in the United States

By Cornucopia TR | February 7, 2011

Next month, Professor Dr Nurhan Atasoy will be giving  a series of lectures across the United States with the support of the Turkish Cultural Foundation. On 14 March, the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, Ann Arbor, will be treated to a talk entitled "Ottoman Gardens." This talk will  be repeated on...
Posted in Islamic Art, Talks and Lectures

“New Landscapes” - Yao Lu at Istanbul Modern

By Cornucopia TR | February 2, 2011

(Yao Lu, Early Spring on lake Dong Ting, 2008) Until 22 May, Istanbul Modern will be displaying 31 works by Chinese photographer Yao Lu, including 11 created exclusively for this exhibition. These images are at first almost indistinguishable from classical Chinese landscape paintings, but on closer inspection it quickly becomes...
Posted in Contemporary Art, Photography

Jafar Panahi retrospective at Istanbul Modern

By Cornucopia TR | February 1, 2011

On 3 and 10 February, Istanbul Modern Cinema will be running a series of films by Iranian director Jafar Panahi. A leading member of the Iranian New Wave of filmmakers, Panahi's work is often described as neorealism with a politically engaged Iranian twist. His first film, The White Balloon, won...
Posted in Film

In Memoriam - Edmund de Unger

By Cornucopia TR | January 31, 2011

It was with great sadness that we received the news of Edmund de Unger's death on Tuesday 25 January, at the age of 92. A passionate collector of Islamic art since his early years, his collection encompassed carpets and textiles, ceramics, metal, rock crystal and miniatures. For many years, the...
Posted in Islamic Art
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