ARKOBJECT: collectible design from Istanbul

ARKOBJECT, a gallery founded by designer Sami Savatli in the Maçka district of Istanbul, shows contemporary collectible design and art with a particular eye on the city. Its selection follows designers and artists who work closely with Istanbul’s artisans and specialist workshops, and treats that relationship as part of the work.

Furniture, lighting, mirrors and functional objects sit alongside sculpture and wall art. Some are one-off pieces, others limited editions or commissions, chosen for their material character, their making and the way they hold a room. The gallery looks for objects whose form, proportion and material give them a presence beyond what they are used for.

Works by Animate Objects, Sevgi Karay, Işıl Kapu, Tayfun Mumcu and Begüm Alkan at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Works by Animate Objects, Sevgi Karay, Işıl Kapu, Tayfun Mumcu and Begüm Alkan.

Works by Animate Objects, Sevgi Karay and Işıl Kapu at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Works by Animate Objects, Sevgi Karay and Işıl Kapu.

Marāu, Puduhepa bar cabinet at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Marāu, *Puduhepa* bar cabinet.

Betül Özkan, Geçit II at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Betül Özkan, *Geçit II*.

Betül Özkan, Eşik at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Betül Özkan, *Eşik*.

A culture of making

The interest in Istanbul starts with the people who make things there. Many of the gallery’s designers and artists develop their work in dialogue with local craftspeople, drawing on techniques and material knowledge that are still part of the city’s working life. Ideas are tested and resolved in the workshop rather than only on paper.

In that setting, craft becomes a field for experiment. A familiar technique can lead to an unexpected form, and a new piece can push a maker to rethink an established process. ARKOBJECT puts that exchange on view next to the finished works, a theme close to Manuel Bañó’s thinking on the workshop and the factory.

Works by Betül Özkan, Animate Objects, Tayfun Mumcu, Begüm Alkan and Ayşe Demir at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Works by Betül Özkan, Animate Objects, Tayfun Mumcu, Begüm Alkan and Ayşe Demir.

Begüm Alkan, Untitled IX, with Ayşe Demir’s Gala 94 on the wall at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Begüm Alkan, *Untitled IX*, with Ayşe Demir’s *Gala 94* on the wall.

Ayşe Demir, Gala 94 at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Ayşe Demir, *Gala 94*.

Established and emerging voices

The selection brings together established names and newer practices, among them Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, Tayfun Mumcu, Betül Özkan, Marāu, Ayşe Demir, Sevgi Karay, Emel Güneş, Mesut Öztürk, Işıl Kapu, Maral Taşkırıcı, Dilek Fidan, Begüm Alkan, Sami Savatli and Animate Objects.

Sevgi Karay, 38 years, 1983 at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Sevgi Karay, *38 years, 1983*.

Animate Objects, Lucia side table at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Animate Objects, *Lucia* side table.

Animate Objects, Colette table at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Animate Objects, *Colette* table.

Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, known internationally as the first woman to design the interior of a mosque, brings her feeling for colour, texture and craft to pieces such as the Gloss side table. Tayfun Mumcu’s furniture and objects combine references from different periods through material and making.

Sami Savatli, LOVE chair and side table; Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, Gloss side tables; Ayşe Demir, Mignon mirrors at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Sami Savatli, *LOVE* chair and side table; Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, *Gloss* side tables; Ayşe Demir, *Mignon* mirrors.

Betül Özkan works with wool and thread, exploring memory and the body through sculptural forms and hand-worked surfaces. Through Animate Objects, Zeynep Satık turns stories drawn from theatre, performance and art history into furniture, producing her limited editions by hand with local artisans.

Animate Objects, Exposé mirror, detail at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Animate Objects, *Exposé* mirror, detail.

Animate Objects, Fiamma chair, with ceramic vessels by Begüm Alkan at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Animate Objects, *Fiamma* chair, with ceramic vessels by Begüm Alkan.

Shown together, the works keep their separate identities. Differences in scale, surface and form become part of the experience of the gallery, which mixes functional and sculptural pieces with works that grow out of a single material or technique.

Ayşe Demir, Mignon mirrors, from the Mirrors of Nowhere collection at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Ayşe Demir, *Mignon* mirrors, from the *Mirrors of Nowhere* collection.

Maral Taşkırıcı, Wretched table lamp at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Maral Taşkırıcı, *Wretched* table lamp.

Maral Taşkırıcı, Cold Comfort at ARKOBJECT, Istanbul — Maral Taşkırıcı, *Cold Comfort*.

ARKOBJECT Editions

Alongside its programme, the gallery runs ARKOBJECT Editions, bringing designers, artists and artisans together to develop limited-edition works made exclusively for it. The collaborators work from the earliest stage of an idea, settling form, material, scale and production through ongoing conversation. Some pieces open a new direction within an existing practice; others come out of the encounter itself.

Savatli founded SAVATLI Architects in 2010, and his practice spans architecture, interiors, furniture and collectible design. His LOVE collection, a sculptural chair and side table, is part of the gallery’s selection.