Employees, contributors tell of 40 years of culture foundation’s history

ISTANBUL

The new book, promoted yesterday, details the IKSV’s 40 years of memories as told by its founders, employees, supporters, artists and spectators.

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), which celebrated its 40th anniversary with a series of events in 2012, has also prepared a book for the anniversary. The book details the foundation’s 40 years of memories as told by its founders, employees, supporters, artists and spectators. It was promoted yesterday at press conference at X Restaurant. 

IKSV Chairman Bülent Eczacıbaşı said the book, titled “i-ka-se-ve,” explained how IKSV set off to organize an Istanbul festival and how a simple festival later evolved into an institution organizing four international festivals, two biennials and other special events throughout the year. The book was prepared as a result of detailed works to archive the foundation’s oral and written history by bringing various pieces together like a puzzle. 

İlkay Baliç, who worked on the research and editorial stages of the book, said that before preparing the book, they first asked readers what they were curious about regarding IKSV. She said they focused on the operation process of IKSV, its formation, its administration and its transformations rather than writing on each festival or each biennial the foundation sponsors. “The history of the institution is being told by people who have made contributions to this history.” 

IKSV brought together various materials in the book by searching the IKSV and newspaper archives, IKSV Corporate Identity and Publications Manager Didem Ermiş said. The book includes the existence, contributions and words of each person, she said, adding that it would give some clues to the developments made in Turkey in the arts and culture field over the last 40 years. 

Book prepared 
in 1.5 years
The book, which features the experiences and stories of 370 people over the course of IKSV’s 40-year history, was designed by Bülent Erkmen and published with contributions from Eczacıbaşı Holding. Among those spoken to for the book, 260 people were interviewed either orally or in writing, while 110 people’s memories were taken from stories about IKSV found in newspapers and magazines. It took one and a half years to finish the book. 

The book is available in the IKSV Design Store at the moment for 40 Turkish Liras, but will be available in all bookstores in Turkey as of Feb. 7.