Discussing the Dönme with Artist and Researcher C.M. Kösemen (Part 1)
It is well known that the Ottoman Empire was a place of incredible cosmopolitanism. What is often overlooked is the existence of “syncretic” peoples,...
In Conversation with the Sonikraf Team (Part 2)
In a continuation of my conversation with Matt Loftin, Utku Öğüt, Alper Erkut, Gabriel Clark and Paul Osterlund of Sonikraf, we discuss the history of the independent music scene in...
In Conversation with the Sonikraf Team (Part 1)
Searching for new music? Look no further! A group of independent musicians in Istanbul have launched Sonikraf.com, a site featuring reviews and links to...
In Conversation with Improv Comedy Duo ‘Ephemerata’
Last week finally gave me an opportunity to visit the Zorlu PSM, a relatively new entertainment complex in the Zincirlikuyu district of Istanbul. Performing in...
In Conversation with Swedish Cultural Attaché Suzi Erşahin
As a dweller of Nişantaşı, I am lucky enough to be located in one of the centers of the Istanbul arts and cultural scene....
Rubber Walrus: Terrifyingly Sexual
There is something terrifyingly sexual about Rubber Walrus. This, in the same way that there is something terrifyingly sexual about being a seventeen-year-old boy,...
In Conversation with Filmmaker Mehdi Shabani (Part 2)
Anyone who has visited a kahvehane in Turkey has heard the sound of plastic dice dance across a wooden backgammon board. Though the game...
In Conversation with Filmmaker Mehdi Shabani (Part 1)
Are all places in the world becoming the same? In fifty years, will people only go to shopping malls, not bazaars? Will there only...
In Conversation with Duygu Etikan, Founder of the Istanbul Street Dance...
One of our contributors, Mustafa Çankaya, recently sat down to chat with Duygu Etikan, the founder and creative director of the International Istanbul Street Dance...
The Abstract Art of Tom Whitty
With his bearded chin and pierced left ear, Tom Whitty looks every inch the artist. He dresses casually, talks quietly and occasionally seems to...
Backstage with the Cast and Crew of Beauty and the Beast
Not only was I able to talk to producers Dan Hinde and Seth Wenig while backstage at Beauty and the Beast, but I also caught up...
Backstage with the Producers of Beauty and the Beast
The Zorlu Center PSM has done it again. Building on last season's Cats and Notre Dame de Paris, they have kicked off the 2014-2015 season...
In Conversation with Filmmaker Serhat Karaaslan (Part 2)
Serhat Karaaslan, the filmmaker behind the short films, Bisiqlet and Musa, tells us more about his experience as a film-maker in Turkey. His most recent short...
In Conversation with Filmmaker Serhat Karaaslan (Part 1)
Sampling several pieces of work from an artist can give one insight into his or her philosophy. I’ve recently had the opportunity to perform...
In Conversation with Ray Cullom, Executive Director of the Zorlu Center...
For the second part of our interview, I asked Ray about his work at Zorlu Center PSM and how the project has developed over the...
In Conversation with Ray Cullom, Executive Director of the Zorlu Center...
I am a concert nerd. And the Zorlu Center Performing Arts Center has been a new paradise found. It has only had one season...
Taxim Sound: Reggae, Dancehall, Carribean and Urban Sounds in the Heart...
Announcing the newest force in reggae, dancehall and urban sounds! Get acquainted with Taxim Sound, a group of four music buffs with a love...
In Conversation with Artist Doug Russell (Part 2)
For the second half of our interview, I asked Doug about his "Summer in Turkey" class. Not only did this course have a tremendous influence...
In Conversation with Artist Doug Russell (Part 1)
In 2008 I visited Turkey for the first time as a student from the University of Wyoming. Together with nine of my classmates, I...
In Conversation with Terrace Exhibitions <40 Artists
Sky-high amid the skyscrapers of Istanbul’s corporate centre Maslak, you can find an unexpected attraction that must definitely be visited. Proje4L presents Terrace Exhibitions...
In Conversation with Gece’s Gökçe Balaban
Istanbul-based band Gece released their third album Iyi Niyetti Bir Gün on 6 May. To mark the occasion, I sat down with bassist Gökçe...
In Conversation with Şebnem Erçelik of Shibu Design
Attention jewelry lovers! Meet Şebnem Erçelik of Shibu Design. Şebnem designs creative pieces that capture the vitality, culture and spirit of Istanbul. To see...
In Conversation with Light in Babylon
Light in Babylon is a multicultural Istanbul-based band that has turned heads in the city with its original music that speaks to all cultures and...
In Conversation with Kinesis
Hear ye, hear ye, lovers of budding alternative bands: this Thursday the twenty-second of May in the year of our lord 2014 you should...