Name:
The City of Migration – or of Collapse

Exhibition:
Occasional Cities: Post-it City and Other Forms of Temporality, Barcelona 2008

Investigation area:
Zeytinburnu (1957- 2007)

My research for Occasional Cities: Post-it City and Other Forms of Temporality in İstanbul shows how subjectivity takes control of public space in the form of residual buildings. It attempts to open a perspective on the difference between a traditional space organization that is shaped out of contingent needs and urban territories which are built upon institutions, administrations, rules and information facilities. The City of Migration – or of Collapse will investigate Zeytinburnu where the numbers show 60% of buildings should be demolished- not only because the city is going through a renovation process while eradicating 70% of the buildings which are in violation of zone permits or even not, but these buildings are in a state of deterioration and can collapse at any time. Eventually using the Post-it metaphor, the study of these buildings overlaps with the characteristics of the project; dually temporary, having been built out of personal need on unclaimed land and absorbed and adapted into urban regulations. The photogaphs demonstrate the collapsed, emptied, ruined or demolished apartments as well as residential premises with a variety of personalized facades. Many of the buildings show signs of decay. Many apartments are sealed and emptied by the public authority. There are cracks in between apartments. Many of the buildings are zigzaging the streets whereas the streets at all ends cut loose from the municipality plan. Many public imporevements were made after the settlements thus many of the apartments invade the public space still. It might as well be a result of this to see slums, apartments or construction sites on sale. The urban space is constructed each and everyday as slums turn into apartments, as apartments ascend storeys and modifications among balconies, attics, and basements take place. One can notice that the area is multi layered, each case is unique and occasionality is aloft with signs of life and death. Subsidence in these photographs also shows how crucial it is to understand the post-it phenomena in a contrary way. The Urban Renovation Law is approved by the government which means that the municipality is now able to take action. In April 2008 the first depicted 157 buildings will be demolished, replacing the inhabitants into sites made by Kiptas in Zeytinburnu or in Ikitelli depending on the householder’s choice.