Art Istanbul: The Burden of Myth and the Hope in Art

Abstract

The present article takes off from developments surrounding the opening of the new Artİstanbul Feshane exhibition space in Istanbul, and the responses to this initiative – some have been enthusiastic, seeing the possibilities that such an arts venue might open up; whilst other responses have been critical, notably those of groups of conservative, Islamist protesters. The discussion seeks to explore key issues in the context of the wider politics of the city and of Turkey more generally. It is argued that the contemporary ideological climate is dominated by a concern with national identity, aligned with new nationalist priorities. Central to this is an emphasis on the ideology of conquest. Arguing against this disposition, the article emphasises the metropolitan context, and seeks to open up issues pertaining to urban politics. And against the logic of cultural closure associated with national imagination, it seeks to explore the possibilities in arts practice and policy for developing an open agenda – an existential space that becomes a space of possibility.