A few years ago, a number of Cihangir-based artists, under the umbrella of the local Foundation for the Development of Cihangir, started seeking a European counterpart that had artists with whom they could share working and living spaces. They then decided on the Mitte-Wedding borough of Berlin. However, because of a shortage of finances, the project could not be realized. But recently the group received good news from the İstanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, which now supports them in bringing to life their interactive project that will connect the artists of Berlin and İstanbul via art. Titled “Komşular Arası 01” (Amongst Neighbors 01), the project will make it possible for artists of the two neighborhoods to share and experience each other’s living and working spaces.
As part of Amongst Neighbors 01, 36 artists from various fields, such as theater, cinema, literature and music, will be guests in the house of one of their counterparts from the other country during two terms that will each last three weeks, thus building bridges of art between the two countries. Eighteen Cihangir-based artists will be guests in Mitte next month while their German peers will experience life in Cihangir in May. In the end, the results of the artists’ three-week stays will be showcased to the public through art exhibitions, film and video screenings and workshops.
The project, introduced last week in a news conference in İstanbul, is a joint effort with Kolonie Wedding, an association of international art spaces in the Soldiner neighborhood of Wedding. Sculptor Josef Vilser, one of the supervisors of Kolonie Wedding, was also in attendance. Necile Deliceoğlu, the project’s general coordinator, told reporters that this project’s realization was a dream coming true. Deliceoğlu said she had to travel to and from Berlin and İstanbul nine times in order for the project to come to life, adding that the fact that she will finally be joined by her Turkish peers on her 10th trip was pleasing. “There is already much talk about our project in Berlin art circles,” she noted.
So what will happen after the project ends? Will it just remain a happy memory? The answer is, apparently, no. The group is eager to continue building artistic bridges with their peers in other cities around the world. The project’s artistic director, Çağla Ormanlar Ok, announced plans to expand the project to other boroughs in metropolises such as London, New York, Paris, and Athens that have similar qualities to those of Cihangir.
Curator Beral Madra, the fine arts director of the İstanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, said Amongst Neighbors 01 fits very well into the concept and vision of the İstanbul 2010 project, adding that as the agency they were proud to lend support to the event, which, she said, would strengthen cultural exchange between İstanbul and Berlin.
The project is backed by the local municipalities of Mitte and Beyoğlu as well as 11 civil initiatives from both countries. Among the 18 artists to travel to Berlin next month are musician Bilgehan Öziş, writer Fatih Özgüven, film academic and critic Selim Eyüboğlu and filmmaker Elvan Kıvılcım. A Web site in Turkish, English and German is also being launched for the project. The site, www.cihangirlink.org, will include a small-scale cultural map of the region and information about art spaces featured on the map, as well as a selection of works by Cihangir-based artists and recent art and entertainment news about the neighborhood. The site will also allow direct interaction between artists participating in the project.
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