The Metropolis of Animals: Neighbours, Companions or Leftovers?
Sezai Ozan Zeybek

Talk

October 3, 2017 / 18:30

Places are heterogeneous: A multiplicity of beings co-habit the place: humans, dogs, trees, worms, mushrooms... We are thrown-together and we will be, at different times and speeds, again dispersed. Our social setting is a bubble that draws together forms of life and materials, yet destined to burst out as we move on. This talk explores the shifting relations in Istanbul between dogs and their humans from 19th Century onwards; looks at a number of episodes where they have become intimate companions, ignored neighbours, or discarded redundancies. All along, my goal will be to redefine the term ‘social’ by drawing attention to nonhuman entities in the city. In that spirit, I will survey the spatial arrangements and the ecological relations imminent to the city yielding different neighbourhoods that we share or compete over with other beings.

Dr. Sezai Ozan Zeybek is a geographer. In the light of postcolonial literature, he studies ‘trivial’ places, ‘insignificant’ people and ‘dead’ times. He follows up the stories of stray dogs, babies, or men who kill time in coffee shops day after day. All along, he scrutinises space-time conceptions of, mainly, capitalism. Recently, he has started to work on issues around ecology with a focus on industrial meat production. Additionally, he is interested in formations of militarism and different constructions of manhood. He has a blog in Turkish where he posts non-academic, seemingly "out-of-agenda" articles: http://ozanoyunbozan.blogspot.com/

Free of admissions, drop in. This event will take place in the auditorium. The talk will be in Turkish.

Temporary Exhibition

15th Istanbul Biennial

Pera Museum hosted the 15th Istanbul Biennial, organized by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by Koç Holding. The 15th Istanbul Biennial brought together artworks by 55 artists from 32 countries, all addressing different notions of home, belonging and neighbourhood.

15th Istanbul Biennial

Sea Baths

Sea Baths

It is understood from Evliya Çelebi’s well-known Book of Travels that the history of sea baths goes as far back as the 17th century; their acceptance and popularization take place in mid-19th century as a result of Westernization, among other things.

Venuses Throughout History

Venuses Throughout History

José Sancho does not conceal the voluptuousness of his female torsos; he highlights it. These torsos are symmetrical from front, but on the other hand, from the side, the juxtaposition of concave and convex forms creates dynamism.

Medicinal Herbs in Byzantium

Medicinal Herbs in Byzantium

Knowledge of plants and the practice of healing are closely entwined. The toxic or hallucinogenic nature of some roots, and the dangers associated with picking them, conferred a mythical or magical character and power.