By Monica Fritz | March 30, 2018
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Mike Berg arrived in Istanbul shortly after the 1999 earthquake. However, our conversation started with a passionate description of his ranch and the peacefulness he felt in total silence.
Mike Berg, gouache, 2018 A father of four and newly a grandfather, Berg delights in moving between his three worlds, a...
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Contemporary Art, Design
Cornucopia Marketplace is now selling handcrafted NYKS candles
By Emma Harper | December 16, 2016
A candle in the window is a favourite Christmas tradition of mine. There’s something about a flickering light that alleviates the winter doldrums. So as the days grew shorter in Istanbul, I found myself searching for candles to brighten up the dark nights. My hunt led me to NYKS, a...
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Design, News, Shopping
Hacer Sayman is breathing new life into a Beyoğlu side street with her design boutique, antique shop and café
By Emma Harper | December 13, 2016
Hacer Sayman has a soft spot for neglected buildings. In a city like Istanbul, where historic structures are more likely to be demolished and replicated than conserved, her willingness to pour money into restoration projects is something of an anomaly. But it has served the community well: the beautiful old...
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Architecture, Culinary Arts, Design, Fine Art, Islamic Art, Shopping
Guest workers, Turkish humorists and Byzantine acoustics
By Emma Harper | November 21, 2016
‘Rewarding reads’ is a new feature on the Cornucopia blog. In this series, we highlight some of our favourite Turkey-related articles and news titbits that we've read over the past month. Kornelia Binicewicz is at it again, filing more gaps in the history of the Turkish music industry (she previously...
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Books, Contemporary Art, Design, Exhibitions, History, Literature, Music and Performing Arts, News
The 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial aims high, but falls short
By Emma Harper | November 13, 2016
When the Transparent Man first visited Turkey in 1938, residents of Istanbul and Izmir flocked to see the life-sized model of a man whose transparent plastic skin reveals the secret interior of a human body: the spatial relationship between the organs and the skeleton, the snaking structures of the circulatory...
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Archaeology, Design, Exhibitions
The inaugural Istanbul Carpet Conference took us on a trip from Anatolian ‘cult kilims’ to contemporary carpet design
By Emma Harper | October 9, 2016
‘Come on down!’ bellowed the exuberant MC at last week’s Istanbul Carpet Conference. It was at this moment, which came after the slick opening video and intervals of thumping music, but before any speakers had taken the stage, that I wondered whether I had mistakenly wandered onto a game show...
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Design, History, Islamic Art, Talks and Lectures, Textiles
Ottoman Silks launches a line of kaftans with Glyndebourne
By Emma Harper | June 15, 2016
The wavy stem of a tulip, the fanning of a carnation, the lattice pattern created by delicate peony blossoms… the floral motifs of classical Ottoman silks are simply sumptuous. No wonder they were the first choice of Sultans, who commissioned teams of weavers trained in the art of silk hand-weaving...
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Design, Islamic Art, Shopping, Textiles
A journey through Turkish homes
By Lynn Gilbert | April 11, 2016
In this blog series, the photographer Lynn Gilbert takes us on a journey through Turkish homes. Visiting the town of Borçka, in Artvin Province in Turkey’s Black Sea region, turned out to be an experience which I savoured long after my visit. For in this small, unassuming town I gained...
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Architecture, Design, Photography, Textiles
Applications due October 31, 2016
By Emma Harper | April 2, 2016
Have an idea for a research project related to things Turkish or textiles? Now is the time to put pen to paper and apply for the Ancient & Modern Prize, an award of £1,000 given to a candidate aged under 26 or over 60. Applications are open until October 31,...
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Archaeology, Architecture, Culinary Arts, Design, History, Islamic Art, Literature, Textiles
By The Cornucopia Blog | October 20, 2015
A highlight of autumn entertainment in London is Hussein Chalayan’s dance production
Gravity Fatigue at Sadler’s Wells. Fashion designer, filmmaker, artist and now choreographer, Chalayan is a man from whom creativity constantly flows. Born in Cyprus, he went to Central Saint Martins school of art in London and was honoured...
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Contemporary Art, Design
A journey through Turkish homes
By Lynn Gilbert | September 22, 2015
In this blog series, the photographer Lynn Gilbert takes us on a journey through Turkish homes. Traditional homes in Turkey exude a warmth and charm that is inviting; they are unlike any other place in the world that I've visited. Each house is an expression of its owner's creativity, which...
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Architecture, Design, Photography, Travel
A journey through Turkish homes
By Lynn Gilbert | September 14, 2015
In this blog series, the photographer Lynn Gilbert takes us on a journey through Turkish homes. Bodrum, located in southwestern Turkey, is a beautiful, charming seaside resort. But it is also a place full of history. Going back to ancient times, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus – an ancient Greek city...
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Architecture, Design, History, Photography, Travel
A journey through Turkish homes
By Lynn Gilbert | September 7, 2015
In this blog series, the photographer Lynn Gilbert takes us on a journey through Turkish homes. Camili is not your typical tourist destination. For one, it’s difficult to reach: located in a remote area near the Black Sea on the border between Georgia and Turkey, it is surrounded on three...
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Architecture, Design, Nature, Photography, Travel
By Victoria Khroundina | August 31, 2015
From next month until December, events continue as part of the ‘Australia in Turkey 2015’ festival. The biggest celebration of Australian culture in Turkey to date, it aims to enhance social and cultural understanding between the two countries. That it’s being celebrated in the same year as the centenary of...
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Contemporary Art, Culinary Arts, Design, Exhibitions, Film, History, Modern Art, Music and Performing Arts, News
A journey through Turkish homes
By Lynn Gilbert | August 28, 2015
In this blog series, the photographer Lynn Gilbert takes us on a journey through Turkish homes. Huge kitchens like the one above are found in old stone houses built high in the mountains in remote areas of’ Çamlıhemşin in the early 20th century. Amonst them were many successful bakers, one...
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Architecture, Design, History, Photography, Travel
By Victoria Khroundina | August 25, 2015
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It’s almost time for another edition of the Istanbul Biennial – and the 14th instalment promises to be bigger, bolder and braver than ever. There will be works by 80 artists, hailing from every continent, displayed in over 30 venues on both the European and Anatolian sides of the city....
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Contemporary Art, Design, Exhibitions, History, Modern Art, Museums, Photography
By THE CORNUCOPIA BLOG | June 23, 2015
Inspiring design motifs abound at the Halı Gallery at Olympia Art & Antiques Fair. James Cohen Antique Carpets presents this magnificent silk Bukhara
suzani on Stand 44. Price on request. James’ assistant Ekaterina Ivanova adds a further layer of beauty with her embroidery-inspired silk-print blouse. Photo by Julie Witford.
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Design, Textiles
How to show off your Grayson Perry tapestry
By THE CORNUCOPIA BLOG | June 22, 2015
Our neighbour at HALI at Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair, the carpet designer Gideon Hatch, was commissioned last year to create a carpet to go with a client’s recently acquired tapestry by Grayson Perry – the magnificent ‘Map of Truths and Beliefs’ (and if you haven’t yet seen the Grayson...
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Design, Islamic Art, Modern Art, Textiles
By THE CORNUCOPIA BLOG | June 21, 2015
The first weekend of HALI at Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair was off to a good start. Robert Chenciner (author of a memorable article in Cornucopia 28, ‘The Peoples that Time Forgot’), gave a characteristically vivid account yesterday afternoon of eagle motifs in North Caucasian – and particularly Dagestani –...
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Design, Islamic Art, Textiles
Something for everyone
By THE CORNUCOPIA BLOG | April 27, 2015
A packed walk for part two of our Karaköy/Tophane gallery walkabout, in which we visit art institutions, galleries and an urban think tank for solo and group shows, spanning such diverse subjects as architecture, history, identity and jewellery. There truly is something for everyone this week. TURKISH ARCHITECTURE YEARBOOK First...
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Architecture, Contemporary Art, Design, Exhibitions, Photography
