Two Cities: Istanbul Now, Shanghai Next
"Two Cities: Istanbul Now, Shanghai Next" is a two-week workshop and collaboration between Sabancı University (Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design Program) and Shanghai University (Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts). During the workshop, students and professors from both universities come together for face-to-face discussions, idea sharing, collaborative production, and to showcase their works in the FASS Art Gallery as a source of inspiration.
Istanbul is a city of love, mesmerizing, vibrant in culture and historically rooted. At the same time a fastgrowing mega-city, dynamic, lively and relentless in human movements. This workshop encourages our students to explore and relook at a city that he or she is familiar with, at the same time rediscover the heart of the city with new perspectives with foreign students who encounter Istanbul for the first time. Sharing of views and agendas of the city (population, immigration, cityscape, building and preservation, food, living standard, economy, and environment) are some of the subjects that the group frequently discuss during photography and video sessions.
In short, we are here to share, learn, explore, and experiment with different ways of creating art through lenses, gaining a fresh perspective on the city of Istanbul.
Restless Reflection
In photography, Beraa emphasizes observing people concerning their surroundings, capturing the dynamic interplay between individuals and the spaces she inhabits. This unique perspective reflects her multicultural heritage and artistic philosophy, inviting viewers to connect more deeply with the world around them.
Istanbul has been her home for years, being the place where Beraa started her journey as a person. Through this series, she aims to capture the city's relentless movement, from the bustling markets of the Grand Bazaar to serene moments by the Bosphorus. Each photograph reflects the city's dynamic energy and profound beauty, yet a deep sense of melancholy permeates her work. This melancholy mirrors Ayse Beraa’s internal struggle: a love for a city that has shaped her and a restless yearning to explore new horizons.
Ayşe Beraa Özcan
She was born into a multicultural family, having many cultural experiences that deeply influenced her artistic vision. With an interest in fine arts, she aims to convey inner thoughts and feelings through her work, focusing on the harmony of colours and shapes in the environment.
Kaleidoscope of Istanbul: Patterns of History
The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul is a living mosaic of history, with each design telling a narrative. This collage captures the vibrant tapestry of the city's soul, showcasing the rich diversity of colours and designs that have flourished through centuries of cultural fusion. From elaborate carpets to colourful spices and exquisite textiles, each pattern showcases the craftsmanship and legacy of Istanbul's craftspeople. This visual symphony reflects the city's dynamic history, integrating elements from the many civilizations that have left their imprint on this global crossroads, harmonizing the past and present.
They represent the essence of a city where history and innovation coexist, with each hue and motif bearing the legacy of its many cultural roots. Istanbul's interpretation of kaleidoscope enables visitors to immerse themselves in the dynamic, ever-changing tale of a city that thrives on its rich legacy.
Ayşe Gürdoğan
I was born on June 7, 2002. I am currently studying at Sabancı University, majoring in Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design. With a primary focus on graphical design, I have continually expanded my artistic vision through diverse projects in videography and photography. I believe this interdisciplinary approach has enriched my work, enabling me to integrate real-life compositions and colours into my designs.
Veiled Vibrance: Istanbul in Haste
My first visit to Istanbul was mesmerizing, with its colourful nature, stunning architecture, and vibrant people. As a tourist, the city left a lasting impression. Now, living here, it feels like the Istanbul from years ago has vanished. This isn't solely due to the city's changes, though it has evolved considerably. The lack of time to truly see and experience it has made a difference. This project aims to capture precisely that feeling.
Istanbul is known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning architecture. Yet, in the daily rush, its true beauty often goes unnoticed. "Veiled Vibrance: Istanbul in Haste" captures the essence of this bustling metropolis through a unique lens wrapped in a see-through veil. This veil adds a soft blur and low saturation to the photos, symbolizing how the city's vibrant essence is often missed in the hurry of everyday life. The project invites viewers to pause and discover the hidden beauty of Istanbul amidst the hustle and bustle.
Elif Berfu Evliya
Berfu graduated from Sabancı University with a degree in Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design in 2024. She went to Hong Kong for a semester in 2023 and this is where her interest in photography began. Her interests are more on the design side of visual arts such as graphic design, and packaging design.
The Silent Eyes
Everyone lives their life in different ways. Some are travelling, some are working, some are enjoying life. We experience different emotions, sometimes we are very happy and sometimes we are sad. While we are going through these things in our lives, the people around us are the people we trust the most, but there is also something that silently sees what we are going through that we do not notice, security cameras. They know where you go and when, where you work, what you do when, what foods you like to eat, and what you do in your spare time. They watch you silently and don't make themselves noticed. Even if you are camouflaged in the city and see them every day, you don't notice, you just pass by and continue your life without knowing that someone is watching you.
The Silent Eyes is a photography project that focuses solely on surveillance cameras in cities to reveal their silent but ever-present place in urban existence. To appreciate the diversity of cameras, this project will look into the matter of their camouflage with the city. By focusing on these elements, the project aims to reveal the intricate patterns and unnoticed details that cameras contribute to the urban tapestry, by showing their quiet resilience and the subtle ways they shape our daily experiences and movements through the city.
Ali Özgün Akyüz
I started my coding journey as a computer science student however along the way I was inspired to combine my work with visual arts, more specifically videos, sound-editing, 3D modelling and photography. In my undergraduate years, I have always tried to enhance my skills in art and coding in the hopes that one day I will hold exhibitions where I can inspire beginners who are also eager to dive into the world of art and coding, just like I am right now.
The Unmatching Charm of Istanbul
Istanbul is a city of love, fast flowing, energetic, and at the same loud, busy, and chaotic. In my humble opinion, Istanbul should be the capital city of the world. I evaluate this city from different dimensions that encompass the strategic location, scale, diversity, inclusiveness, and historically rooted and diverse points of view. A marvellous fusion of history and modernity. Exploring Istanbul’s iconic structures is a journey through time. Every structure, whether it’s a Galata Tower overlooking the Golden Horn or historic mosques nestled in the heart of the city, tells a unique story of the people, cultures, and epochs that shaped this metropolis. The Galata Tower was originally built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. However, this tower was destroyed during one of the Crusades. Another tower was built in its place in 1348, making it the tallest building in ancient Constantinople. Since then, it has been a prison, and fire watchtower, and now serves as a museum and lookout over Istanbul. Everyone (local and foreign visitors) who visits the Galata Tower is trying his or her best to capture the unmatching charm of Istanbul whether it is through selfies or with their loved ones at the Galata Tower.
Yoong Wah Alex Wong
He obtained his Media Arts (PhD) from Bournemouth University, the United Kingdom, Computer Animation (MFA) from SCAD, The University for Creative Careers, Georgia, the United States, and Graphic Design (BA) from Limkokwing University, Malaysia. Since January 2003, he has been appointed as a faculty member at Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey. In 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2023, he received the Graduating Class Teaching Award from all faculties at Sabancı University. In 2010, he received the Teaching Award at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sabancı University. At the same time, he received many reputed international recognitions and awards. His works are collected in many different private galleries and museums. He is also the curator of many different exhibitions at FASS Art Gallery and international shows.
Overloaded
As I stepped into the streets of Istanbul, I was deeply drawn to its rich and diverse cultural landscape. Ancient architecture contrasts starkly with modern skyscrapers and bustling markets. Graffiti art, intricate city roadways, diverse billboards and signs, and countless pedestrians and vehicles weave together to form a vibrant and complex urban scenery. However, this complexity also presents a challenge: information overload. The abundance of sights and sounds leaves me somewhat overwhelmed, unsure where to focus my gaze to fully grasp this city. Through the lens of photography, I attempt to capture these fleeting scenes, yet capturing their entirety proves elusive. While the street scenes appear clear, they are also abstract and ambiguous, each resembling a fragment of information that requires deep observation and understanding to piece together into a complete picture.
This experience is not just a sensory challenge but a universal issue in our modern world. In the age of information overload, we process vast amounts of information daily, which ironically obscures the essence of reality. Istanbul's street scenes serve as a microcosm reflecting how people globally navigate and interpret the complexities of urban life amidst the deluge of information. This complexity and challenge are not only a daily reality for urban residents but also prompt a profound reflection on how global society can maintain genuine perception and deep understanding in the information age.
Eric Zen Qingyang
He is currently an MFA student in photography at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and lives in Shanghai. The practice begins with an in-depth study of the traditional chemical imaging process and extends to new forms of expression through programs and other digital media. He aims to expand the boundaries of photographic expression through diverse photographic techniques.
Title Page
When I first arrived in Istanbul, what caught my eye was not the heavy history and modern city, but more of a mysterious and absurd temperament. The giant political advertisements and the skyline full of mosques, the women wearing headscarves and various Christian churches, the cross-fusion of various cultures turned into abstract visual symbols, which extracted a mysterious temperament in my eyes. This temperament gradually diffused from my sight into my mind, making me press the shutter again and again. In this series of works "Title Page", the absurd aesthetics have a profound influence on me. I tried to explore the embodiment of people's lives in the contemporary Istanbul urban landscape. I wanted to create an atmosphere that conflicts with reality through scenes full of symbolic meanings and blurred and incomplete characters. In my creation, I chose dark black and white images. I wanted to create a weird and tense visual effect. This series of works, "Title Page", is more like my initial impressions of Istanbul when I first came here. My exploration of this place is not so comprehensive, and my understanding of this place is not so mature. This is my first impression and the preface for me to learn more about this city. I hope that the viewer can also abstract the boundary between reality and the picture in the visual experience, and feel the Istanbul seen from my perspective.
Harry Liu Wenhao
He is a Shanghai University (Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts) Photography Art Master student. His works have long focused on the description of space in different time dimensions. He participated in exhibitions including the 2021, "Sunset Slices" participated in the Pingyao International Photography Festival College Section Exhibition. In 2023, "Sunset Slices" participated in the Dali International Photography Festival College Section Personal Exhibition. In 2023, "Buddha is Formless" participated in the Pingyao International Photography Festival. In 2023, "Sunset Slices" participated in the Lishui International Photography Festival.
My Name is Istanbul
Istanbul is a city with historical dignity and romantic poetry. It shows a unique cultural heritage and multilevel social structure in history and modernity, religion and secularity, order and noise. As a foreign tourist, the author faces the country and culture he admires from his perspective, and conducts multi-dimensional viewing, scrutiny and condensation. The "My Name is Istanbul" series of works presents both abstract and concrete personal perceptions. Istanbul's civilization integrates a variety of historical, cultural and religious elements. The architecture and spatial layout of the Byzantine and Ottoman periods often emphasize geometric order and harmony. The images shot behind the grid, with their low-saturation colours close to black and white and blurred and dizzy visual effects, are metaphors for Istanbul's past urban planning and social structure. At the same time, Islam has a profound influence on urban life, and the black-and-white grid also represents the solemnity and mystery of Islam. Other images with bright colours fully show the sensory experience brought to the author by the vitality and changes of Istanbul's modern society.
The grid image close to black and white symbolizes social history and culture, and the colour symbolizes the author's emotional perception. When viewed from a distance, the blurred image becomes clear, and the colour image is left with only vague colour blocks. This is a rational viewing without identity. When viewed from a close-up, the grid obscures the image, while the content of the colour image is visible, which is an emotional sharing under personal sensibility. Different viewing methods from near and far invite viewers to interact visually with the work. The alternation of black and white and colour, blur and clarity reflects the rapid development and transformation of contemporary Turkey in the context of globalization. This contrast not only reflects the cultural integration and conflict in Istanbul in history but also conveys the author's understanding of Istanbul.
Ao Guoxing
He is currently a faculty member at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, at the same time he serves as the director of the Photography Art Studio, at the Shanghai Film Academy, director of the Photography Department, Master's Degree supervisor, working and living in Shanghai. He is also the director of the Chinese Photographers Association, executive director of the Photography Specialized Committee of the China Higher Education Commission, judge of the China Youth Photography Grand Prix, deputy director of the Curatorial Committee of the Shanghai Photographers Association, curator of the Shanghai International Photography Festival. He mainly researched the potential of chemical photographic manifestation of the birth of a new value of its aesthetic extension and explored the relationship of the individual in history and culture. His representative works include North of the North, South of the South, Ode to Joy Trilogy, The Unknown, The Nightmare Phase, The New Landscape, and Real World. His documentary film, The Two Gypsies of Northeast China, was selected as one of the New Discovery Directors in the U.S.A. He was awarded the Academic Prize for Young Artists by BASF in Germany, the Grand Prize of the Jury of the Lianzhou International Photography Exhibition, the Gold Prize of the Shanghai Photography Art Exhibition, the Best Curator Award of the Shanghai International Photography Festival, and the Best Curator Award of the Jinan International Photography Festival. His works have been exhibited and collected in the Yangtze River International Image Biennale, Stuttgart Museum of Art, Germany, the National Gallery of Singapore and the Royal Netherlands Art Center.
City in the Mirror
Istanbul, here I come.
I have gained so much from this 15-day international photography workshop with Mr. Huang and my brothers and sisters. In the later creation, I gave up the idea of showing the typical Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. I didn't want to make the works into tourist photos, but wanted to focus the lens on the city's architecture and daily scenes. When I accidentally shot the car window, I found a surreal image, which aroused my strong interest. I decided to shoot the theme of "City in the Mirror". I began to want to capture the charm and historical culture of Istanbul through different mirror projections. I tried to use different perspectives, colours, light and shadow, and abstract techniques to break the conventional plane perspective and distort and bend the space to show the real landscape. Many photos failed in the creation process, but after a little effort, I finally took a satisfactory photograph. "City in the Mirror" shows this modern international metropolis in the world. Istanbul, I love you!
Ao Sishu
He is a fourth-grade student at the Shanghai University Affiliated Primary School. He is interested in art and photography and likes to use the camera to record life and express urban architecture. His representative work "Architecture, a Historical Microcosm of a City" won the gold medal in the Shanghai Youth Photography Competition, and "Red Footprints in Shikumen" won the silver medal in the Lianzhou International Photography Festival National Youth Photography Grand Prix. His paintings have won the second prize in Shanghai and the first prize in Baoshan District.
Human Architecture
Jean-Paul Sartre proposed the concept of existence taking precedence over essence in Existentialism as a Humanism. Sartre opposed the traditional essentialist concept and believed that human essence does not exist in advance, but is determined by their choices and actions. This view reflects his high regard for human freedom. Istanbul is a city immersed in religious colours, but also full of freedom and love. The serious atmosphere of black robes and the passion and unrestrainedness of the mixture of Asian and European cultures, the natural restraint of traditional believers and the free release of atheists, these seemingly opposing modes of existence coexist in the same time and space. The diverse characteristics of Istanbul people in free choice reflect Sartre's critical view of human behaviour. He criticized people for falsely treating themselves and seeing themselves as objects determined by external factors or social roles, rather than true free subjects. On the contrary, Istanbul people define their existence through choices and actions.
"I want to measure the depth of this feeling, only by taking action, and using action to illustrate and affirm the depth of my feelings." Human architecture is the materialized projection of human beings putting their destiny in their own hands. Thousands of mosques stand solemnly in the ocean city with a population of 28 million. For the people in Istanbul, mosques are the pinnacle of life in the eyes of Muslims and are also historical buildings that are common in the eyes of atheists or pagans. The Muslim chanting throughout the city and the noise of modern megacities are both classified as specific white noise. The author believes that this extreme contrast between the warmth and tranquillity of real life is the complete embodiment of the city of Istanbul.
The "Human Architecture I" series of works presents Istanbul's mosques in a completely pure white, minimalist. The objective expression of the deification of mosques transforms the architecture from a specific space into a carrier of concepts and ideas and a representation of spiritual nothingness. They are both solemn and majestic under a cultural concept and an ordinary impression of urban life. The works reflect human beliefs, values and social structures from the perspective of an outsider through long-distance shooting and abstract image processing. The photographer's Chinese cultural background transforms the photographic works into aesthetic patterns close to Chinese ink and brush paintings and also reflects the complex network interwoven by different eras and cultures. Architecture is the concrete embodiment of human identity in space and time and is also a symbol and witness of the human pursuit of transcendence.
Guinevere Wu Guanwen
She graduated from the Printmaking Department of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and is currently a 2023 master's student in the Photography Art Department of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. Dedicated to studying the cross-border integration of chemical photography, classical photography techniques and printmaking techniques. The works often use life forms such as plants as the entry point to express the relationship between human nature and order. Representative works include the "2n-Moss" series, the "1.5n-Moss" series, and the "Wood" series. The works have won the silver medal of the 2023 "Suspension and Appearance" 11th Academy Photography Award, the silver medal of the "China Visual Art Yearbook 2022-2023", the silver medal of the 4th Hong Kong Contemporary Design Award, the second prize of the 8th "Painting Youth" Shanghai University Art Festival, and the works were exhibited at the 2023 Lishui
International Photography Festival and the Paris Gallery La Galerie du Génie de la Bastille exhibition "IslandSilence is our common language."
2-17 July, workshop and outcome (artworks) displayed at the FASS Art Gallery, 17 July -23 August, 2024.
Two Cities, exhibition curated by Alex Wong & Ao Guoxing.
Special thanks to Inci Ceydeli (Sakıp Sabancı Museum) & Demet Yıldiz Dinçer (Istanbul Modern).
