The Public Turn in Contemporary Art – Project Book
santralistanbul Museum
Co-editor | TR & ENG

The Public Turn in Contemporary Art consists of a series of activities on the role of contemporary art in the creative transformation and democratisation of public space. The project brought together artists, writers, art historians and theoreticians working on the subject, where the theme was discussed in panels, artist talks, public talks, a documentation exhibition and a book. Curated by Pelin Tan, the project was initiated and implemented by Istanbul Bilgi University and santralistanbul in cooperation with ArtBOX.gr (Thessaloniki), University of Art and Design Helsinki and Maison des métallos (Paris).
Aksoy, Asu, and Eylem Ertürk, eds. Kamusal Alan ve Güncel Sanat – The Public Turn in Contemporary Art. Translated by İlkay Baliç Ayvaz and Özlem Ünsal. Istanbul: Istanbul Bilgi University Press, 2007. | Out of print
The book was published originally in Turkish and English ISBN: 978-605-399-019-2

Contents
Introduction | 10
Project Partners
Santralistanbul | 20
ArtBOX.gr | 25
University of Art and Design Helsinki | 28
Maison des métallos | 31
Artist Talks and Panel Meetings | santralistanbul
Art and Negotiation in Public Space | 39
The Change of the Regimes of Aesthetics of Art Practices in Public Spaces | 45
Public Space, Contemporary Art and Politics | 50
Public Talks for Public Arts & Interviews
On Public Arts… | ArtBOX.gr, Thessaloniki-Greece | 55
Possibilities of Public Art in Built Surroundings |
University of Art and Design Helsinki, Helsinki-Finland | 63
Dynamics of City and Possibilities of Cultural Transformation |
Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir-Turkey | 70
Local Dynamics, Geographies and Cross-Possibilities |
DSM Diyarbakır Arts Centre, Diyarbakır-Turkey | 76
What is the Use of Art? | Maison des métallos, Paris-France | 79
Exhibition
Energy Room! | Documentation Exhibition on Public Arts | 87