Molecular (ISTANBUL): Context as Content Everywhere?

The installation realized by Serge Spitzer at the Mayor Synagogue in Hasköy gathered many people from the culture-arts community from Turkey and abroad. The open debate held in Garaj İstanbul on Saturday, February 20 discussed about the social and cultural issues brought into the agenda by the installation Molecular (Istanbul) under the theme "Context as Content Everywhere?"

Moderated by Serge Spitzer who made the installation, the open forum was joined by David Chipperfield the founder of Chipperfield Architects from London, David Elliot the curator of Sydney Biennial, Stella Rollig the Art Director of Lentos Museum in Linz, Alexander Schwarz the director of Chipperfield Architects in Berlin, Marc-Olivier Wahler the director of Palais de Tokyo in Tokyo; and Ali Akay, Ferda Keskin and Nevzat Sayın from Istanbul.

Fragile Beauty: The Mayor Synagogue
The Mayor Synagogue in Istanbul’s Hasköy district is a very special place. The historic synagogue is hundreds of years old. Today, it is used as storage facility, and houses a workshop and a billiard saloon. That’s what the Romanian-born installation artist Serge Spitzer found fascinating about the place. Serge Spitzer has created a site-specific installation at the Mayor Synagogue, titled "Molecular Istanbul". In one of the rooms he arranged a vast number of marbles on the floor while in the other rooms the craftsmen do their work.

Open in Week Days
The installation made by the artist in cooperation with "41-29 Istanbul" and Molecular (ISTANBUL) related programs go on with supports from Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture, French Cultural Center, Goethe Institute and the Austrian Culture Office.

"Molecular (ISTANBUL)" installation at the Mayor Synagogue can be visited in week days between 11:00-16:00.