Retro-prospective Cityscapes

CURATORIAL PRACTICES IN URBAN RENEWAL  ZONES OF ISTANBUL

Istanbul has been subject to many speculative megaprojects, especially over the last few decades. From the projection of a new canal that divides the peninsula into two, to the reconstruction of the Ottoman barracks as a shopping mall in Taksim Square that caused country-wide uprisings, the government-driven initiatives have not only reshaped the city’s landscape but also sparked political mobilization and creative civic responses. Amid these spatial conflicts, new battlegrounds of urban imaginaries and narratives have emerged.

The proposed research project is thus interested in the retro-prospective cityscapes of the city, where these battlefields emerge. It focuses on how representations of Istanbul’s past and projections of its future are visualised in artistic practices and digital media. By examining both historical and contemporary urban imaginaries, the project investigates how different curatorial and activist practices challenge and reshape the existing body of knowledge, collective memory, and historical consciousness, particularly in response to large-scale urban development.

The urban imaginary in arts, activism, and digital media serve as a tool for analysis, revealing conflicts and uncovering the different layers of networks that operate within the dynamics of spatial production. Understanding these dynamics will provide new insights for current theories on urban imaginaries and their impact on the built environment. The project aims to address questions concerning urban networks, creative practices, and memory politics in Istanbul: What political, social, and economic forces drive the city’s continuous urban renewal, and what kind of urbanity do they envision for its citizens? What role do cultural institutions play in shaping the city’s development and image? And where do counter-narratives arise to challenge collective memory and historical narratives?