Spaces & Flows: Ninth International Conference on Urban and ExtraUrban Studies

Abstract

Recently, there has been a remarkable interest to scrutinize the artistic/activist practices which put forward the appropriation of the urban space. These experimental practices have been analysed in terms of the publicness that they create, their spatio-temporal organisation, and the question of visibility. This paper contributes to this debate with a case study from Istanbul. Focusing on alternative theatres and two cultural centres, this research investigates the ways in which these independent cultural organisations open up new spaces in the city. Accordingly, this paper develops the notion of spaces of openness by questioning the temporariness, autonomy and publicness that those cultural organisations form. In addition, drawing on a detailed empirical analysis, it discusses the actual organisation of these new cultural formations through their funding sources, aesthetic and socio-political content, relation to other urban actors etc. The dataset consists of interview transcripts, the texts in their websites, social media accounts of the cultural organisations as well as fieldwork notes and photos. This data set has been analysed by combining narrative analysis, qualitative content analysis with social network analysis and participant observation. The findings show that these spaces of openness are formed in three ways: 1) the provision of spaces of co-existence, 2) the excavation and making visible of undocumented histories 3) the creation of translocal spaces of engagement. However, the questions of temporariness, autonomy and publicness need a deeper elaboration to reflect on the limitations to sustain these spaces of openness.