SantralIstanbul: "Managing Utopia"
Sarah, thanks for sharing your piece with me!
by Sarah-Neel Smith
Managing Utopia:
Istanbul Bilgi University's new arts and education center makes no secret of its grand ambitions: they are all summed up in its two-word title, Santralİstanbul. To an English speaker's ear santral resonates with “central.” In Turkish, it means “power plant.” Take your pick of a language – the message is still clear. Santralİstanbul plans to take on a central role in the local art world. It wants to provide an “electrifying” art and learning experience to an Istanbul audience, on the site of a converted Ottoman power plant. But an effort of this size requires a lot of power. Can Santralİstanbul succeed?
