“Art in the Public Spaces” workshop by KTSM

The institutional supporter of the 9th Çanakkale Biennial, the Kale Group, organized an “Art in the Public Spaces” workshop to support the introduction of high-quality artistic works to urban public spaces.

In the workshop, held on October 19-20 under the leadership of the Kale Design and Art Center (KTSM), experts and researchers from various generations in the fields of art, architecture, and design came together to share their views and experiences, aiming to outline a roadmap.

The “Art in the Public Spaces”, led by the Kale Design and Art Center (KTSM), was organized to contribute to the creation of urban spaces where art permeates social life—spaces that are open to participation, allow for a plurality of experiences and ideas, and serve as venues for the free expression of diverse perspectives. In line with this goal, the workshop aimed to create a roadmap for a model that would bring together various stakeholders around the vision of providing urban public spaces with high-quality artworks, enabling society to experience inspiring urban environments.

Moderated by Yılmaz Değer, founding member of Aura Istanbul and architect, the 'Public Art Workshop' included participation from Kale Group President and CEO Zeynep Bodur Okyay; Çanakkale Biennial Initiative (CABININ) Founding Director Seyhan Boztepe; CABININ Executive Curator and Co-Director Deniz Erbaş; Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Evren Karayel Gökkaya; Troy Museum Director Rıdvan Gölcük; Troy Excavation Head Prof. Dr. Rüstem Aslan; Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Department of Architecture Head Tolga Özden; Political Scientist Prof. Dr. Füsun Üstel; Prof. Dr. Asu Aksoy, Architect Cem Sorguç, Artist Esra Carus, Artist Günnur Özsoy, Artist Meral Değer, and Artist Serhat Kiraz, all of whom shared their views, experiences, and suggestions.

Over the two-day workshop, various definitions and components of public spaces involving multiple disciplines and theories were discussed, along with the relationship between architecture, design, and art with public spaces, global models of public art practices, permanent and temporary public art applications, and examples of public art experiences in Turkey. On the first day of the workshop, group work and presentations on public art were held at the Kaleseramik Factory in Çan, Çanakkale. The second day began with local stakeholders providing information at StudioMAHAL, one of the biennial venues in the Çanakkale city center, on topics such as the history of Çanakkale, examples of monuments and public art, and historical layers like Troy and Gallipoli. The workshop’s conclusions were then shared with local stakeholders and the public in a panel open to the entire Çanakkale community.