Global Politics and Cultural Visions
Forum Istanbul – "A Soul for Europe"
by Beral Madra
Forum Istanbul will take place 11-13 October 2010 in Tophane-I Amire, Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts in Istanbul. Istanbul is the European Capital of Culture 2010: this is an opportunity for Istanbul as well as for the whole region to see and experience the vision for the next decades. The Forum Istanbul – "A Soul for Europe" will bring together high representatives from the field of culture, politics and the business world of Turkey and from all over Europe to discuss about the significance of culture for the regional development of Istanbul and the whole region.
Even if the consciousness about the effect of culture on the development of democracies is widened and emphasized, this process in many societies is too slow and shallow. What can Forum Istanbul contribute to it?
Within this possible mission culture as a rather complex manifestation of much injured democracy and inconsistent modernism in Turkey finds its diverse forms in Istanbul, the city of elite, emigrant and marginal social groups. The common dominator of this complex culture is the stage of popular, commodity and media culture where all groups can easily meet on. The so called high culture with strong modernist resonances or the post-modern culture with its light modernism, looseness and instability is still the playground of intellectual minorities. The serious actors of the culture sector strive for a stabile ground to develop the necessary funds and infrastructures. This task is based on the fact that the gap between the private sector initiatives with a strong corporate character and the official cultural policies is dangerously growing to the disadvantages of the civil creativity and productivity.
The charismatic diversity and energy of Istanbul art and culture scene – as seen from a distance – attracts creative individuals, cultural operators as well as commercial art professional from EU and non-EU countries; yet, what they experience here is an issue to be examined and questioned. For the time being Istanbul will sustain this position, as it is the only global culture mega-city between Berlin and Shanghai which has its multifaceted historical, modern and postmodern relationship with South Caucasus, Middle East and Asia. In Forum Istanbul will be a unique laboratory for future improvements and enhancements in cultural exchange and networking policies.
Organisers
European Cultural Association (Istanbul) and Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts (Istanbul) in co-operation with the "A Soul for Europe" Initiative.
Contact
Mahir Namur, Director of the local NGO European Cultural Association (Istanbul) and member of the "A Soul for Europe" Strategy Group.
