Researches

Understanding that the Elhamra Passage is a 20th-century structure rather than a 19th-century one is quite challenging within its complex history filled with fires, closures, demolitions, and reconstructions. Yet, both the building’s date and its architect are known. The historical framework used in the Biennial text, however, renders the actual construction process of the building invisible.

It is stated that the venues of the 18th Istanbul Biennial—which has no fixed exhibition space—were also determined in relation to the conceptual framework established by curator Christine Tohmé. Nevertheless, it is unfortunately not possible to find any clue as to the context of this approach. Apparently, this perspective involves pushing historical facts into the background in the process of site selection.

Could the Istanbul Biennial, which opened its doors to the audience under the theme “self-preservation and future possibilities,” be engaging in a deliberate act of gentrification by presenting Elhamra Han, a 20th-century building, as a 19th-century one?

What I wish to emphasize in this article is that the historical context of Elhamra Han remains in the background of the Biennial’s narrative—highlighting the need for a more comprehensive dialogue with architectural historians.