Istanbul JOURNAL

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Six selected artists dove into Istanbul’s cultural and historical layers with the aim of developing individual projects. Guided by local curator Paolo Girardelli — art and architectural historian and professor at Boğazici University — alongside photographer Andrea Savorani Neri and filmmaker Olga Kravets, the participants explored diverse artistic methodologies.

Day by day, each artist followed their own direction based on their individual processes, many of which naturally converged, fostering shared experiences and a strong sense of community. They shared meals, exchanged peer feedback, experimented with new techniques and took part in field trips and other collaborative activities with the local art scene.

17 November

Hearing Andrea speak again about Walker Evans’ narrative methodology, and listening to the other artists’ project proposals, was genuinely inspiring. At the same time, the discussion around Orientalist painting fascinated me deeply, echoing my own research into the city’s identity and the way Istanbul has been historically imagined, framed, and portrayed.

- Christian Velcich

While presenting my work to the others and the challenges, I explained that what I need to finish my project is more poetic images to see through the eyes of my grandfather. While talking about it, I accidentally said that maybe the one thing that remains from Constantinople of early century and today’s Istanbul are the animals – dogs, cats, seagulls. Maybe I need to dig this.

- Rebecca Topakian

Abstract from Andrea Savorani Neri’s lecture

18 November

In Sultanahmet, the Orientalist and cliché representation of Istanbul feels especially strong — the historic heart of the city now overwhelmed by tourism. Yet walking just a little further always reveals more authentic scenes. Exploring different neighborhoods helps me understand the multiple layers of Istanbul I want to photograph. - Christian Velcich

Sultanahmet has always been the city’s main ceremonial square, from the Byzantine emperors to the Ottoman sultans. Performing in front of the obelisk placed my body within this stratified field of memory, temporarily interrupting its monumental permanence with a fragile, time-bound gesture and testing how contemporary presence can negotiate with inherited forms of power and historical visibility.

- Bruno Camargo

19 November

Olga Kravets and Andrea Savorani

20 November

Visiting Istanbul Modern was inspiring for understanding contemporary artistic approaches in Turkey. I was particularly drawn to Chiharu Shiota’s Between Worlds, an installation that wraps the gallery in web-like red threads and nests suitcases to evoke a “presence in the absence,” exploring migration, memory, and belonging.
- Christian Velcich

Video still of Bruno as Dr. Wilhelm at the Byzantine wall ruins.

Video still by Olga Kravets featuring Rebecca Topakian, filmed outside the Armenian Cemetery.

Seeing Miniatürk was visually useful — its condensed landscapes and iconic landmarks offer a playful but revealing way of observing how Turkey chooses to represent itself within the city.

- Christian Velcich

21 November

Visiting Hagia Sophia, I was struck by its layered symbolism. The building stands as a powerful emblem of coexistence and tension, illustrating how architecture can carry memory, identity, and the passage of history all at once.

- Christian Velcich

Istanbul Biennal

22 November

Blue Mosque sketch by Solen Lagadec

Geography does not always dictate culture, and Istanbul constantly blurs the boundaries between continents, identities, and perceptions.

- Christian Velcich

Presentation of CROSS-LOOKING project by Andrea Savorani Neri and Paolo Giraredelli at Bulgur Palace on Youtube

23 November

During my visit to the Islamic Art Museum, I was particularly struck by the satirical representation through Karagöz. These figures from the Ottoman shadow theatre combine irony, wordplay, and visual caricature to depict the vices, social dynamics, and contradictions of everyday life at the time. Each scene acts as a miniature social portrait, where humor becomes a tool for observation and reflection, revealing both cultural tensions and popular aspirations. I was fascinated by how their visual and narrative power transforms simple materials into complex, symbolic stories.

- Christian Velcich

Bruno Camargo’s performance materials: first-aid kid, measuring tape, field recorder, reading glasses.

24 November

Find inspiring neighborhoods and things are hard to find in advance because everything is so crowded.
- Rebecca Topakian

25 November

Ahmet Ersoy’s lecture on Ottoman Photography

While exploring Ottoman photography, I noticed the subtle line between Orientalist and ethnographic representations. Some images aim to document daily life and culture with ethnographic intent, while others present idealized or exoticized visions shaped by the gaze of the observer. This tension made me reflect on how photography negotiates reality and interpretation, and how our understanding of history and identity is influenced by the perspective from which it is framed.

- Christian Velcich

26 November

Bruno Camargo’s encounter with orientalist costume photographers outside of the Archeological Museum

27 November

Bruno Camargo presenting what he documented in Istanbul at SALT Galata.

Photographing Eminönü and visiting the Grand Bazaar, I noticed the coexistence of historical significance and contemporary commerce: these sites are living heritage but also shaped for tourists. - Christian Velcich

Bogazici University

28 November

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