FATOS
//I work for platform and proje 4L and another gallery in istanbul. I do the production there or translate texts, both turkish-english. I studied mathematics. I still use this rational mathematic way of thinking. I think I'll never loose this. Mathematics is not over, you cannot just quit it, but it wont be my profession. I like art more, also reading and writing. /
We meet on Mondays with a group of artists, some theorists, sometimes students writing thesises. It is called sea elephant travel agency. We have artist talks, debates, slide-shows, talk about books or texts. / Platform is sponsored by a bank. L4 is located in the most modernized area of Istanbul, it is the first Contemporary Art Centre here and I think the only one in Europe that doesn't have an archive or collection. It doesn't have a library either, just the space and the current programm. Both of them were run by Vasif Kortun, but he quitted the L4 four month ago. I think the existance of these spaces, established within the 4th biennial, had a strong influence on the local art-market and galleries. The 4th bienniale in Istanbul introduced international artists to Turkey and turkish artists to the world. The galleries were all very classical. / It is this 80ties thing.

We had a rise of leftism and socialism in the 80ies as well as a coming up of right parties. So there were a lot of quarrels between both political sides. In '61 and '80 the military took control. There is negative and good sides to this. In the last election a rightwing party took over, so they are focused on islamic values and ruling the country. Democracy demands a seperation of religion and state. They cannot just change laws according to islamic rules. The military is avoiding this./ A lot of people are still taken to prison for their political ideas and attempts. But the eighties were hard. Carry a book by marx and you could go to jail for this. You were under constant observation. People that suffered the eighties-climate brought their children up to be less edgy. They tought them that they could have opinions and ideologies, but to not stand in the front-lines. Protests and ideologies, leftism and rightism are still existing. But people don't have any reaction any more. People are not political, while I think that everything is political. /

Most professors left the Art Academy in the eighties, which was then transformed into the State University of Art. Artists were surpressed protestors. The girls liked Bacon, the boys Beuys. / Turkey is in-between. It doesn't have a definete identity or no spatialisation of identity. The artistic identity changes relatively according to the identity of the artists and their backgrounds. There were kurdish artists making strong political work in the eighties. Now, they are protesting with more humour. / In the past five years there has been more activity in the turkish art-scene, because people were exhibiting and working abroad. /

a cultural debate, what do you mean? People sitting together and talking about culture?
In my point of view I try to talk to anyone I come across. It can be any topic. It doesn't need to be explicitly about culture. Sometimes you are in need for a platform, and if this platform doesn't exist, then you are stuck with your words. There is no explicit time for this. It is spontaneous or ongoing.
But not all people are open to share their ideas and thoughts. They consider them not valuable. Which is maybe related to the experiences of the eighties as well. People are more into having fun. And fun indeed makes life easier, more pleasureable./

there was a huge bancrupt in istanbul in 2001 and as a consequence people tried to limit their expenses for entertainment. People were meeting in front of the bars but bought their drinks at the kiosk. They were standing on the sidewalks and sitting on small walls. You still had the sound and atmosphere coming from the bars. It transformed into an alternative meeting-point. Some of the neighbours felt disturbed by the young generation hanging out on their sidewalks and the police came several times. Drinking on streets is not illegal in turkey, so it wasn't the police's business. But nevertheless it is not a nice thing to have to deal with the police, it created some pressure on the young. / Police is the statue of morality or ethics. You have to be self-conscious, tough, stable, when dealing with the police. /

On the streets, the people that talk to you, even if it's insults, are harmless. Just if they don't say anything to you, if they don't try to communicate to you, you have to be alert. It is some active-passive thing. / There are zones you don't have access to. Like it is forbidden to photograph the police. / On Isticlar, where most protests or demonstrations take place, there are a lot of cameras observing everything. This is not known. / Istanbul is just random. Some things just don't happen to you. But sometimes you are unlucky. /