The Istanbul Art-Boom Bubble
Ambroise Tézenas for The New York Times
Istiklal Caddesi, the central pedestrian artery of Istanbul. More Photos »
By SUZY HANSEN
Published: February 10, 2012
Earlier this winter, the giant 120-year-old Ottoman bank building in Istanbul reopened as a multimillion-dollar contemporary art space called SALT. This was surprising. Turks were never big on contemporary art, and for years rich people didn’t visit that part of town. When I moved to the neighborhood five years ago, it was all electrical-supply stores and abandoned buildings and men smoking. My building didn’t have heat; girlfriends wouldn’t visit after dark; a neighbor once attacked another neighbor with a small sword. I don’t see swords in Istanbul anymore. I do see a lot more art.
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