From Crafts to Design

The first project of the Istanbul Modern Platform for Crafts, Art and Design combines imagination with manual skills. Products designed using copper, wood, glass, bone, and nacre are featured now at the Istanbul Modern Store for art lovers to enjoy.

The first project of the Istanbul Modern Platform for Crafts, Art and Design is completed. Bringing together Istanbul’s fading crafts with art and contemporary design, the project was carried out within the scope of the Istanbul Development Agency 2015 Developing Creative Industry Financial Support Program.

Leading the way in the development of creative industries in Turkey, Istanbul Modern has united the city’s long-established but fading craft traditions with new interpretations in contemporary design and art. In this first project of the Istanbul Modern Platform for Crafts, Art and Design, traditional production techniques using copper, wood, glass, bone, and nacre were reinterpreted and transformed into design objects. Five artists/designers and four artisans took part. Designs created by Atilla Kuzu for copper, Hatice Gökçe for bone, Adnan Serbest for wood, Ekrem Yalçındağ for nacre, and Seyhun Topuz for glass came to life as products crafted by the hands of artisans Fatma Ayran, Sezgin Yalçın, Gamze Araz Eskinazi, and Battal Yakut (Master Beto).

Initiated on September 1, 2015, the project provided artists, designers, and craftspeople with the opportunity to draw on one another’s knowledge and experience while collaborating and creating works together. The resulting products were featured in the Istanbul Modern Store until the end of the year.

Click here to access the digital publication prepared for the program.