Ruins and Fortifications - Garavaglia diary

RUINS AND FORTIFICATIONS G A B R I E L E G A R AVA G L I A I s t a n b u l : f e b b r a i o - m a r z o 2 01 2

PROGETTO G R A F I C O

STELLA GNESUTTA PROGETTO E D I T O R I A L E

MARIA P EROSINO

RUINS AND FORTIFICATIONS

R E A L I Z Z AT O DA

G A B R I E L E G A R AVA G L I A I s t a n b u l : f e b b r a i o - m a r z o 2 01 2

CON IL PATROCINIO DI

Residenza presso Caravansarai PA R T N E R

diario realizzato con la consulenza artistica di BERNARDO GIORGI

con un testo di CARAVANSARAI

M erve U c ü a k

M erve U c ü a k

A S h ort S tor y A bout R uins and F ortifications of T arlaba ş ı

Tarlabaşı is a neighborhood which locates in the

Beyoğlu district in Istanbul. In spite of being located in the city center; the area is usually considered as a no gone zone because of its association with crime, drugs, poverty. It is the neighborhood of the urban poor, marginalized and disadvantageous communities like minority groups, sex workers and transsexuals. Actually, it is usually referred as a ghetto, an urban jungle, underground Istanbul, the other or another Istanbul, the other side of the city. Furthermore, ironically, it is also referred as “real Istanbul”.

The settlement in Tarlabaşı started in the 16th century when the first embassies located in Pera (today’s Beyoğlu) in Ottoman Empire. First inhabitants were non-Muslim senior executives, who worked in Pera, and employees, who ran the work places. After the big 1870 Pera Fire, which destroyed large swaths of the wooden buildings, ‘Western’ standards in planning were applied in the district for the first time. The Nouvelle Ville (New City) Project followed this development; than new broad squares, streets, hotels, theaters, and trading houses started to show up. Thus; in the 19th century, Tarlabaşı became one of the most important settlement units of Istanbul. Indeed; while upper-class lived in Pera; Greek, Armenian, and Jewish lower-middle classes were located in Tarlabaşı. The elegant historical buildings in

M erve U c ü a k

A SHORT STORY

the area from the beginning of 20th century, which are

of the island, deviated from their aim and turned into

unique examples of Levantine architecture, are now

pogroms on non-Muslim citizens. This pogroms caused

important sources for architecture and city history.

physical ruins and destruction of numerous buildings in

The demographic structure of Tarlabaşı started to chan-

Tarlabaşı, also most of the houses were abandoned.

ge by the 20th century. With the newly founded Turkish

The economic problems, industrialisation and

Republic, embassies started to move to Ankara, and

urbanization started to cause not only demographic, but

this resulted in decreasing of business opportunity for

also socio-economic changes in Tarlabaşı. By the 1950s

diplomats in Istanbul. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s,

new inhabitants begin to appear like rural migrants

Turkish families started to settle in Tarlabaşı because of

from Anatolia and Romans from Thrace Region of

the population exchange between Greece and Turkey.

Turkey, due to the economic reasons. The Kurds, who

Starting with 1940s, non-Muslims started to move out

escaped from civil war or evacuated from their villages

of there, because of the main two reasons: The Wealth

forcely, from Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia,

Tax and The Events of September 6, 7. The aim with

followed them in 80s and 90s. For another thing;

the tax, which was levied on the wealthy citizens in

refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants from

of Turkey 1942, was raising funds for the country’s

Africa, Middle East, Balkans, and Eastern Europe started

defense in case of an eventual entry into World War

to settle in the area. In addition; because of the illegal

II. Indeed, non-Muslims were heavily taxed and the

entertainment industry of 70s and the urban renewal in

conditions were too heavy, because of the changed po-

Cihangir (1), where low income groups located since 60s,

litical framework which excluded them. So, non-Muslim

in 1990s; marginalized groups like transsexuals and sex

merchants and craftsmen got impoverished, some of

workers settled there. The abandoned elegant historical

them went to jail because they were unable to pay, and

buildings were either occupied by these communities,

many of them left their stores, workshops and houses.

or rented to these people with very low prices by

Moreover; on September 6 and 7 of 1955, after the be-

opportunists. Thus; in this time period, the current

ginning of the Cyprus crisis, the demonstrations, which

social structure of Tarlabaşı started to form.

started to criticize Greece’s attitude about the future

A SHORT STORY

The interest in neo-liberalism in Turkey brought along the concept of urban restructuring in 1980s. While urban renewal returns profit for enterprisers and local governments economically, is results in dispossession and being displaced for different and disadvantageous groups. In 1988-the period of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Bedrettin Dalan, a this kind of project left its stamp on Tarlabaşı, in spite of its architectural and city historical importance. About 360 historical buildings were demolished to form the current Tarlabaşı Boulevard; as a result Tarlabaşı region was separated from Taksim, and became a closed area. This was another reason for the historical buildings in the area to be in state of decay. Therefore, Tarlabaşı began to take its present form, and the wig shops, cheap hotels and small business started to appear on the boulevard.

Tarlabaşı, which was one of the most elegant residential areas in 1900s, has been a mixed and dangerous zone for most Istanbul residents. In 2007, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality decided to launch “Tarlabaşı Renewal Project” which ensured that the area would be safer, healthier, integrated with the city, and include luxury hotels, shopping centers, cafes and office lots.

According to the current mayor of Beyoğlu Ahmet

Misbah Demircan, Tarlabaşı would become “The Champ-

Elyseés of Istanbul. However, at the same time, the implementation of the project means gentrification and

M erve U c ü a k

A SHORT STORY

urban transformation which would force the current residents not only leave their homes, but also their works. The residents have been offered an alternative place; where forms the edge of Istanbul, and while some of them have started to move out, many of them have remained. The fact that most of them can not afford to move.

The regions near Tarlabaşı like Tepebaşı and Cihangir took their present forms by similar renewal projects.

Now they are mostly preferred by artists, journalists, academicians and young generation. Often these people protest and contradict to urban renewal in Tarlabaşı, especially by social media. It is mostly possible for them to be the habitués of new and “elegant” Tarlabaşı; however, the start of the new Tarlabaşı is mostly

considered as the end of “real Tarlabaşı”. Indeed, the

area has been inspiring many poets, writers, directors and artists since 19th century; and used by academicians as a research center or an experiment area. Currently; a lot of professional and amateur photographers take photographs of there. Renewal and demolition of the neighborhood means a loss of collective memory, and maybe the next generations will learn about it from these kinds of artistic products and academic studies which depicts the real life of the neighborhood. The common vision shows that it is impossible to prevent the end of Tarlabaşı, but immortalization is possible by

A SHORT STORY

these products. The whole story of the neighborhood from 16th century until now; which is mostly determined by neo liberalist, nationalist, and economic policies, industrialization, and urbanization; ends with existing ruins, and expected fortifications of not only the buildings but also the people’s life.

M.U. Instanbul, aprile 2012

Photos: courtesy Gabriele Garavaglia (1) Currently; Cihangir is one of the most livable places in the World.

SOURCES Watson, Ivan. Istanbul’s Tarlabasi Under Constant Transformation. 2007. www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11965693 Letsch, Constanze. Tarlabası Is Renewed. 2012 www.neareastquarterly.com/index.php/2011/06/11/tarlabasi-is-renewed www.mashallahnews.com/?p=1398 www.bantmag.com/dergi/04/page/view/425 www.tarlabasiyenileniyor.com www.tarlabasimagdurlari.com

“La geo-architettura, poggia sul terreno della geo-filosofia, che è una filosofia dell’abitare e promette un nuovo paradigma, un ripensamento dei saperi e dei loro rapporti, attribuendo un valore nuovo ai luoghi, alle regioni, agli equilibri e agli squilibri che consentono alla terra il suo respiro cosmico investendo con forza il territorio dell’architettura”.

PAOLO PORTOGHESI

G A B R I E L E G A R AVA G L I A

RUINS AND FORTIFICATIONS

Considerando un’idea sofisticata di architettura, il punto

Questo progetto ha il compito di produrre

di partenza di questo progetto sono le dinamiche di

sperimentazione visiva isolando una questione allo

metamorfosi urbana, in particolare di gentrificazione,

stesso tempo specifica e assoluta, la trasformazione

quale strategia globale di intervento urbano.

urbana in relazione al processo di globalizzazione.

Con questo termine s’intende la trasformazione

In tal senso gli interventi artistici sono sati realizzati

socioculturale di una determinata porzione di città,

tentando di investigare il modo in cui l’installazione e

risultante dall’insediamento di una fascia di popolazione

più in generale le arti visive, possono rappresentare un

benestante all’interno di una comunità meno ricca.

medium tra il pubblico e le rivoluzioni in atto.

Il processo che ha determinato l’espulsione degli

Così, ad ogni mutamento, sono state mosse all’interno

abitanti dal quartiere storico di Tarlabaşı, nel distretto

dello spazio espositivo porzioni rilevanti di paesaggio,

di Beyoğlu a Istanbul, lo stato di abbandono in cui

in seguito restituite come opere d’arte, appartenute

versa quell’area e la sua futura ricostruzione in nome

ai tre momenti principali del ciclo di metamorfosi di

dei soli interessi economici, rappresenta un caso

Tarlabaşı: la depredazione degli sciacalli successiva

estremo del processo di gentrificazione.

all’abbandono del quartiere, il suo abbattimento “a braccia” e l’inizio dei cantieri per la ricostruzione.

A Tarlabaşı, come in altre zone, le politiche urbane adottate contribuiscono ad aumentare la forbice sociale, disgregando completamente il senso e la struttura sociale che la caratterizzano. In questo momento Tarlabaşı è considerata la zona più pericolosa e inaccessibile di Istanbul, mentre il complesso di torri costruite per ospitare la sua comunità sono un luogo desolato.

GABRIELE G A R AVAG L I A ISTANBUL F E B B R A I O - M A R Z O 2 01 2

R UINS AND FORTIFICATIONS T HE EX HIBITION

Photo by Jonathan Lewis

Photo by Jonathan Lewis

Photo by Jonathan Lewis

Photo by Jonathan Lewis

Photo by Jonathan Lewis

Photo by Jonathan Lewis

U

BUTTRESSES

(frammenti di neon, neon, cavi, blue foam).

(legname da costruzione)

Si tratta di un’insegna al neon di un luogo significativo

Infine, portare al centro il cantiere oltre ad isolare un

per Tarlabaşı, che in seguito alla devastazione è stata

elemento iconico del paesaggio di Istanbul e di molte

restituita trasfigurata dalla città.

altre metropoli emergenti, significa portare al centro il

Pur avendo perso il suo vocabolario originale, come

processo, trasformando il significante in significato.

un’archeologia racconta quello di cui è stata testimone.

Così alcuni elementi del cantiere, reinstallati all’interno

In seguito al prelievo dal suo contesto e al

dello studio (che a sua volta è una fabbrica) hanno

riposizionamento all’interno dello spazio espositivo, è

assunto sembianze di scultura che a propria volta

stata lucidata, collocata su un basamento e completata

ha svolto la funzione strutturale di contrafforte,

riproducendo l’unica lettera mancante (U).

innescando nell’osservatore un loop cognitivo.

L’installazione è stata realizzata acquistando materiale da costruzione grezzo nei negozi sopravvissuti agli sconvolgimenti del quartiere, trasportato, ripulito e in

MODIFIED HAMMERS

seguito modificato in modo che aderisse perfettamente

(battenti in acciaio, manici curvati in alluminio)

alle superfici della galleria.

I martelli sono stati gli strumenti ricorrenti di metamorfosi del paesaggio, attraverso l’azzeramento dell’architettura. La lunghezza dei loro manici segna la distanza minima tra individui comuni e cambiamenti in atto. Migliaia di colpi moltiplicati per migliaia di braccia hanno modificato questi dispositivi di trasformazione in dispositivi trasformati, con manici liquefatti e battenti pesantissimi, impigliati nelle vite degli abitanti di quei luoghi.

S t a m p a t o a M i l a n o n e l M a g g i o 2 01 2 d a L I B E R TY