The Moving Museum Istanbul

July - October 2014

The Moving Museum launched a major 3-month residency from August to October 2014 inviting 35 international artists to join 11 local artists in a period of intensive research, production, and public engagement. The residency was headquartered at Ark Kultur, a 3-story modernist villa transformed to serve as the space for public engagement and work hub for artists. Three studio spaces were occupied in the historic Caferiye Han for the duration of the residency that served as spaces for production and temporary exhibitions. During the period, over 15 public events were hosted across the Villa and Han.

38 individual artist projects were commissioned and realised over the 3 months. Artists collaborated with local practitioners, researchers, fabricators and craftsmen across all disciplines in Istanbul, and throughout Turkey. This included film making in derelict factories along the Bosphoros, production in marble quarries, textile production of Kilims in Van (Eastern Turkey), hand embroidery in the historic town Sile, diving in the Black Sea, collaborating with oud craftsmen in Istanbul. Using every part of the city as well as travelling outside of Istanbul to continue their research and projects, the results were several major bodies of work, many of which were only the beginning of even larger projects.

Artists were invited to be part of the Weekly instagram take-overs on The Moving Museum account with 14 video interviews with artists were produced over the residency period.