Caravansarai Art Space (2008-2013)
An independent, artist-run space initiated by Julie Upmeyer and Anne Weshinskey. Just as the historical caravansarais hosted camel caravans along the Silk Road, we invited creative people–with or without camels–from around the globe for collaboration, residencies, experimentation, research, and exchange.
The establishment of this space us allowed us the opportunity to engage with artists/thinkers/doers who passed through this little oasis of Istanbul’s historical Karaköy neighborhood. Repeat visitors to our space and events organically became part of the building and the project.
Even after the closure of our space, Caravansarai continues to be made up of a free-floating, international fellowship of creative souls—shrinking and expanding according to the project. For international art fairs, competitive eating contests, residency opportunities, meatball wrestling, thematic exhibitions, street performance, or any other inspiring event, they spontaneously collaborate as the occasion merits.
BLOGS: CARAVANSARAI PERSONAL
The complete Caravansarai Archive will appear here soon, we’re in the process of migrating from our previous site.
All photos courtesy of Julie Upmeyer
The Building (Tan Han)
The Caravansarai building was built in 1980 as a communal office space in the port of Karaköy and named Tan Han (Dawn Workspace). We renovated it in collaboration with the architecture firm, Superpool
collaborative projects
tea, tavla, and tall tales (2008-2010)
Perşembe Pazarı (per-shem-bay pah-zar-uh), in Istanbul’s Karaköy neighborhood, had been occupied almost entirely by hardware and construction suppliers for 40 years. But, like most of Istanbul, it was in the process of change when we arrived. As Caravansarai’s art space was located in the middle of this marketplace, we were conscious of our role in the transformation of this area.
Our intention with this project was to observe the changing face of the neighborhood, from the perspective of newcomers and as artists. At the time of purchase, the Caravansarai building was home to eight distinct hardware businesses. During working hours it filled with men and their customers who spent most of their time talking. Sometimes discussions took place over games of tavla (backgammon.) Stories were shared, information exchanged and eventually business conducted—always accompanied by strong black tea and cigarettes. When we purchased the building, one of the favorite topics of conversation became us (Julie and Anne) and what exactly we were doing there. They had some interesting theories.
Karaköy has multiple histories—official and contrived, mundane and mythical. Primarily a port neighborhood, various and shifting types of physical objects, people, and commerce have ceaselessly flowed through for several centuries. Its inhabitants, however, have a different reality, inevitably based on their own presence, their individual memories and opinions. The gentlemen in our building write and rewrite such history every day. What is recorded? What is true? We’re collecting all of it--the hearsay and the textbook articles, the websites, the rumors and the ‘undisputed facts’.
Presenting an evolving collection of stories to invited artists, we asked them to create their own myths about the Karaköy neighborhood to be told through any medium they desired. Working with the Istanbul architecture firm Superpool, these myths were built into the interior design and architecture of the building during the renovation process. Walls, stairs, security gates, and other decorative features tell the story of the Caravansarai building and its presence in Karaköy.
Gallery coming soon . . . Temporary link
Perşembe PazarI Projects
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Part of Galata Perform’s “Galata Visibility Project” in 2012. In order to bring art-seeking crowds into the Galata port neighborhood where our respective organizations resided, Galata Perform organized a festival in which Anne participated as an artist/organizer. In order to highlight her relationship with the hardware sellers and artisans in the neighborhood, she initiated and directed two of her aerial students in a show, as well as organized a tour of these hardware sellers. These were the men with whom we brainstormed, helped fabricate, and procured materials not only for Anne’s circus equipment, but who also provided much of the hardware and fabrication for our building and for resident artists.
First was the performance, and directly following was an interactive tour of the hardware shops accompanied by audio of interviews with the sellers conducted prior to the tour.
Artists in residence
With a large production space/gallery, three residency bedrooms, and shared kitchen and living space, we played host to over 80 artists in residence through our Live-Work-See AIR program, and facilitated collaborations between visiting creatives/thinkers in a wide variety of mediums, and Turkish artists, creatives, artisans, and hardware sellers! Sometimes the collaborations were arranged ahead of an artist’s stay and on other occasions they arose spontaneously as a result of chemistry or mutual interest.
