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Slow death in the Belgrade Forest
Gencer Emiroğlu, small-craft historian and sailing enthusiast, has another passion: mushrooms. This week he took a small group to the Belgrade Forest to amble along paths so rich with fungus you had...
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Snap judgement
The last decade has seen an explosion of contemporary art in the city, but Istanbul’s art market is still more affordable, and much younger, than New York or London, it is said. It’s more chaotic,...
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Gallery walkabout: Beyoğlu part 2
With Contemporary Istanbul and its parallel week of special events, Art Istanbul, behind us, it seems the dust has somewhat settled on the city's contemporary art scene. Or has it? With the weather...
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Pi Artworks sets up shop in London
One of Istanbul’s more established contemporary art galleries, Pi Artworks, opened a branch in London last month – the first gallery from Turkey to do so. The generous, brightly lit space in trendy...
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Students zoom in on Turkey’s disenfranchised youth
The Young Turkish Photographers Awards exhibition opened at the Elipsis Gallery on November 12. The works of 18 participants are displayed this year, with the winner and both runners-up focusing on...
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Albanian adventures
When I visited Albania, in 1996, the imam at the Tirana Mosque very kindly invited me to accompany him up the minaret. I shuffled my feet nervously onto the balcony while he issued the call to prayer,...
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Better together?
One city, two art fairs, less than two months apart. They’ve clashed in court and they’ve vied for attention. They’ve both set out their stalls for 2014. How will Contemporary Istanbul and...
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Gallery walkabout: Karaköy/Tophane
A plethora of exciting autumn shows have opened at the galleries in Karaköy/ Tophane, whetting our appetite for all things contemporary art. The neighbourhood is considered to be the city’s cultural...
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The curtain rises
The attendant at the entrance to the Curve at the Barbican Centre asks if I have seven minutes to spare. That is how long it will apparently take to go through Ayşe Erkmen’s new exhibition, Intervals....
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An island settlement in Late Antiquity: Boğsak
On Tuesday November 26 the Council Room at King’s College in London was filled with diehard history lovers gathered to hear Dr Günder Varınlıoğlu discuss a fascinating subject: an island settlement in...
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Gallery walkabout: Nişantaşı
We’re back in fashionable Nişantaşı this week for tantalising exhibitions to warm up your winter. Two parallel streets, Mim Kemal Öke Caddesi and Abdi Ipekçi Caddesi (above), are of most interest,...
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A win for Gümüşdere
We at Cornucopia were delighted to receive an email from Beyhan Uzunçarşılı last week giving news that Gümüşdere is no longer under threat from ISKI, the city’s water supply and sanitation...
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Islamic arts in Melbourne
I’m always happy to hear about things of cultural interest happening in my hometown, so the news that the Islamic Arts Festival was taking place at the always fascinating Immigration Museum in...
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Gallery walkabout: Beşiktaş
With the Naval Museum finally opening its doors in October (read our feature by Gencer Emiroğlu in Cornucopia 50), here’s hoping that Beşiktaş will attract a few more art punters. The neighbourhood...
View ArticleThe Baksı bathes in glory
Some great news out of Strasbourg last week, as the Council of Europe awarded the Museum Prize for 2014 to the Baksı Museum in Bayburt, in northeastern Turkey. The prestigious prize has been awarded...
View ArticleA tribute to Osman Streater
Osman Streater, who died on November 22, might have seemed to be the ultimate London gentleman, a Chairman of a London Club, a leading figure in City PR, an amusing but always well-informed...
View ArticleSpinning a good yarn
News last week from the Oriental Rug and Textile Society (ORTS) that their annual Cup Award, now in its third year, is open for submissions. The Award was initiated to promote knowledge of the...
View ArticleByzantium: A Tale of Three Cities
Tonight (December 12) Simon Sebag Montefiore presents the second of his excellent three hour-long TV programmes on the history of Istanbul (BBC4, 9pm). Last week Byzantium: A Tale of Three Cities...
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Building dresses: couture plays with architecture
Architecture makes its mark in fashion. Turkish fashion designer duo, Dice Kayek, whose cutting-edge couture was previewed in Cornucopia 44, have won Victoria and Albert Museum’s coveted Jameel Prize...
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Gallery walkabout: Taksim/Cihangir
Although there are not many galleries in buzzing Taksim and more mellow Cihangir (above), the ones that are there are blisteringly good. And, their offerings for the colder months are well worth the...
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