 |
||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Work session in Istanbul (December 1-6, 2003 ) 
|
||||
|
[ISTANBUL 2003] Documentation (pdf): |
The work session of the “Transnational Culture Geographies” group held its second meeting in Istanbul's “Platform Garanti Contemporaray Art Center” one week after the bombing of the British Consulate in Istanbul and additional bomb attacks on the British HSBC bank in Istanbul on November 20th 2003, Despite doubts and many mails sent the days after the attack and despite the travel warnings issued by European Embassies, the group decided to hold the meeting and to productively intergrate the strained political situation into their discourse. Astonishingly, the popular pedestrian precinct “Istiklal Caddesi” was heavily frequented by people doing their Bayram shopping only a few days after the attacks already. Like always, one slow stream of people was strolling down to Galata Bridge. The “Platform Garanti Contemporaray Art Center” is situated in the middle of Beyoglu, only a few hundred meters away from the British Consulate that had just recently witnessed the assaults. The main objective of this work session was to update all participants on the state of the project, to become acquainted with the Turkish participants of the Timescapes project group and present the different subjects dealt within Transcultural Geographies for the opportunity to get a Turkish view on the project. Attendees from Ankara and Instanbul were invited to discuss during the week of presentations and lectures, the workshop was partially open to the public since the second day of the work session. |
|||
|
Lectures and raw footage screenings with Ginette Verstaete, Lisa Parks, Ursula Biemann and Angela Melitopoulos were being held throughout the whole week. Ursula Biemann and Angela Melitopoulos introduced their video material gathered during research and shooting travels in summer 2003 and commented on the current state of the project. Lisa Parks also presented photography and video footage from her research trips in Croatia and Slovenia that very same summer. Ginette Verstrafte sketched a catalogue concept around the theoretical implications and questions.(see .pdf).
The thourough examination of the material lead to the detection of several linkings between content and aesthetics applied: geographical and affective overlappings, images displaying f. ex. traces of war. Empty pülaces and refugees, post-war traumata and strategies to devour the current political situation of corporate western appropriation (Lisa Parks / Angela Melitopoulos), the strategic importance of oil pipelines and their territorial implications in Turkey, especially at the Kurdish border track section (Ursual Biemann / Videa Group) and current problems with terrorism.
Lectures and presentations by “Transnational Culture Geography” group members were rounded by three guest lectures held in between.
Maurizio Lazzarato and Ulus Baker linked their analysis of language homogenisation as a power tool for two different eras: The epoch of the national state movement and the era of globalisation.
After long discussions with little time to rest, the week came to an end. The final discussion held within the kernel group of Transcultural Geographies was predominated the desire to sort out the massive input. Critical questions on interdisciplinary methodology unfortunately had to remain unanswered. One can summarize the workshop as an outstandingly precious event though, since it was able to bring to surface the fundamental precondition of the Transcultural Geographies research project. Session attendees and speakers Ursula Biemann (TG Researcher) Text by Angela Melitopoulos |
||||
|
||||
