Creative Portfolio.
Gem and Craft: In Pursuit of the Artisans of Grand Bazaar
Research and Curatorial Work, 2017, Rezan Has Museum, İstanbul.
16 February 2017 – 30 November 2017
Researcher, Curator, Art Direction.
Keywords: Armenian jewellery masters, Grand Bazaar Of İstanbul, UNESCO Human Treasures, jewellery and intangible cultural heritage.
Recognized as ‘İstanbul İşi’ (Istanbul-Made or Istanbul-Style), Istanbul’s unique tradition of jewelry production is identified with the Grand Bazaar. It is known that as the abode of master(y), the Grand Bazaar exported masters to France, England, and the United States and that some of the famous jewellery makers that left their imprint on the history of jewellery design were Greek and Armenian masters of Istanbul origin.
Gem and Craft: In Pursuit of the Masters of Grand Bazaar is the product of the efforts to bring into view masters as the transmitters of a living tradition of unique and creative distinction and the desire to uphold this tradition. The exhibition was designed to offer a modern perspective on jewelry design by unveiling the mystery of the workshops of the last generation of masters that continue to produce using traditional techniques and contribute infinitely to the character and essence of Kapalıçarşı (Grand Bazaar) Jewellery-Production. The conceptual backbone of the exhibition, on the other hand, is based on the results of the academic research project “The Relationship between Craftsmanship, Design, and Innovation in the Context of Intangible Cultural Heritage as the Source of Creative Economy: The ‘Living Human Treasures’ of Grand Bazaar” supported by TÜBİTAK.
In the exhibition, viewers were presented the opportunity to observe how the Ottoman production tradition is reflected in the continuum of present-day Grand Bazaar Jewellery-Production environment. The exhibition will bring to viewers the splendour of the unique pieces of jewellery crafted at the counters of the last living master of the globally renowned Grand Bazaar jewellery.
Thanks to its conceptual and spatial setup, Gem and Crafts hosts 21 artisans, 38 pieces of high jewellery, 64 antique jewellers’ tools, 35 visual materials, two historical documents and four films with expertise from six different disciplines. Exhibition design was carried out in collaboration with Pattu Architecture including a soundscape designed for a multi sensorial experience.
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