ArtDog Istanbul Artweeks Istanbul Special Issue
Holding its 9th Edition this year, Artweeks is undergoing both a name and a venue change. This "Special Issue" you are holding documents the event's evolution, its new responsibilities, expanding vision and goals.
Artweeks is in fact a local event that emerged organically, growing and evolving over time. Taking place this year at The Ritz-Carlton Residences Istanbul Block B, the event signals that its boundaries will expand with this change.
We spoke with organizer Sabiha Kurtulmuş, Bilgili Holding CEO Sinan Temo and Bilgili Holding Board Member Sevil Bilgili about this ambitious new chapter of Artweeks, taking place April 20–28 at The Ritz-Carlton Residences Istanbul Block B, hosted by Bilgili Holding.
Among the most prominent curatorial projects of Artweeks Istanbul's 9th Edition are exhibitions by Levent Çalıkoğlu and Beral Madra. Alongside in-depth conversations with Madra and Çalıkoğlu, the edition features a special exhibition by Haluk Akakçe — one of the most important figures in Turkish contemporary art, who in his later years lived at Akaretler Sıraevler. We spoke with Akakçe's wife Nevzat Akakçe about the exhibition drawn from the artist's late-period works in the Bilgili Collection and about his artistic practice within his living and working space.
Alongside a special feature including conversations with galleries joining the event from Eskişehir, Adana and Diyarbakır, this issue also includes a piece on the architecture and story of The Ritz-Carlton.
We also took a closer look at the exhibitions of Taksim Sanat — the public exhibition space of Kültür AŞ, an affiliate of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality — and the Digital Experience Museum, as well as the Doğançay Museum exhibition.
This issue, which examines Artweeks' journey over the years and its goals at this new milestone, also contributes to the archive of Istanbul's contemporary art map.
