Public idea

To engage in Istanbul implies dealing with many open questions. One example is the difficulty of defining public space due to complex historical conditioning and diversity. Different life forms and opposites exist in parallel; the historical and the contemporary city, tradition and modernity, periphery and centre. PUBLIC IDEA is linked to preliminary discussions concerning urbanism and transformation processes in a metropolis. The main focus is placed on the artists' perspectives and personal approaches towards the city. Each project illuminates a different aspect of urban development and reveals a further understanding of the multiple identity of Istanbul. The different approaches are influenced by architectural, societal as well as historical and cultural aspects, exploring the city as a space of possibility. With texts and images by Yeni Anıt, Volkan Aslan / Nancy Atakan, Irena Eden / Stijn Lernout, Antje Feger / Benjamin F. Stumpf, Mark Henley, Matthias Krause, Matteo Locci / Merve Yücel, Gümüş Özdeş, Iz Öztat, Nadin Reschke, Katinka Theis, Mehmet Vanlıoğlu, Hagen Verleger.