Murat Tabanlıoğlu

An art installation featuring walls displaying digital projections and images in a gallery setting. The projection on one wall includes data with the label 'ANTWERP' and timestamps, while another wall shows a grid of images. A white bench is positioned in front.

Port City Talks. Istanbul. Antwerp.

Antwerp, Belgium
A white rectangular container with various white oblong pieces arranged inside it, set against a dark background.
Client
Museum Aan De Stroom (MAS)
Year
2014
Type
Exhibition
A large visual display showing an aerial view of a highway with vehicles, parallel to a body of water and an island. The scene is divided across multiple screens in a darkened room.
A large display wall showcasing a grid of historical postcards, featuring various images of cityscapes and landmarks. The wall is dark, with the postcards displayed neatly in rows and columns, accompanied by a descriptive plaque on the right.
An architectural rendering of a room layout showing multiple rooms including a living area, kitchen, and bedrooms, with light wood flooring and a light gray backdrop.
An installation view of a gallery featuring a video projection of two individuals standing by a body of water, with city scenery in the background. The gallery space appears minimalistic with a white wall and furniture.

Curated by the studio’s founder, Murat Tabanlıoglu, Port City Talks: Istanbul Antwerp was presented at the MAS Museum as part of the Europalia Arts Festival (2015). Developed under his curatorial direction, the exhibition examined the architectural, historical and sociological parallels between two major port cities, exploring how Istanbul and Antwerp have been shaped by centuries of maritime exchange. The exhibition was structured in two interrelated parts. The first featured a selection of objects drawn from museum and archive collections in both cities.

These items were displayed in a museological format that revealed shared narratives and subtle connections between the two ports, linking their pasts through form, function and memory. At the center of the space, the second part introduced a digital installation housed within a lightweight timber structure wrapped in translucent white fabric.

This immersive environment brought together works by Turkish and Antwerp-based artists, including a major data-driven composition by Refik Anadol. His data-driven installation streamed real-time movements of ships in the ports of Istanbul and Antwerp, transforming this live information into shifting digital graphics that offered a contemporary and immersive comparison of the two port cities.

Through this dual approach, Port City Talks highlighted how ports shape not only the physical landscapes of cities but also their cultural identities and collective imaginations. The exhibition underscored the intertwined stories of Istanbul and Antwerp within the broader context of global urban exchange.

An architectural model consisting of various transparent and white geometric shapes arranged on a flat surface, set against a dark background.
An interior view of an exhibition space featuring wooden flooring and a glass display case. Framed artworks hanging on a dark wall and a screen showing visuals are also present.
An art gallery interior featuring white walls and wooden floors. Various projections are displayed on the walls, including images of boats and cityscapes, creating an immersive visual experience.
A conference audience seated in a large room with wooden beams and a projector screen displaying "PORT CITY TALKS." A speaker is visible at the front, facing the audience.

This immersive environment brought together works by Turkish and Antwerp-based artists, including a major data-driven composition by Refik Anadol. His data-driven installation streamed real-time movements of ships in the ports of Istanbul and Antwerp, transforming this live information into shifting digital graphics that offered a contemporary and immersive comparison of the two port cities.

Through this dual approach, Port City Talks highlighted how ports shape not only the physical landscapes of cities but also their cultural identities and collective imaginations. The exhibition underscored the intertwined stories of Istanbul and Antwerp within the broader context of global urban exchange.

An exhibition room showcasing ancient artifacts, including ceramic vessels and a display of fossils on a dark wall. Information panels and screens provide context to the exhibits.