Mercan Dede spins at Borusan Contemporary opening night

Buse Kayar - ISTANBUL

Mercan Dede poses on Perili Köşk's rooftop terrace, in front of the Bosphorus.

Mercan Dede, also known as DJ Arkın Allen, spun his original mixes at Perili Köşk on Sept. 14, for the opening of Borusan Contemporary Art Collection, featuring the special exhibition “A Runaway World” by American artist Diana Thater.
 
The DJ said he arrived in Istanbul from Montreal a day before for this special event. Mercan Dede performed for five hours from sunset until the end of the event, on the rooftop terrace of Perili Köşk with a stunning view overlooking the Bosphorus. The attendees included Borusan Holding Group CEO Agah Uğur, Borusan Holding Group Chair Ahmet Kocabıyık and Borusan Otomotiv Brand Ambassador Yonca Ebuzziya.
 
The event is one of the “neighbor” events for the 15th Istanbul Biennial and has attracted artists such as Korean photographer, Boomoon, and those who have an appreciation for their work from around the world. The artworks at the exhibition focus on media art.

Born in 1966 in Bursa, Turkey, world-renowned Mercan Dede said he spends half of his time in Montreal, Canada and half of his time in Istanbul, Turkey. In addition to DJ’ing, he is a Turkish composer and producer and plays the ney (reed) and bendir (drum). Some of his songs include French lyrics, an influence of living in Montreal.

His music is guided by Sufi philosophy. It is unique for its combination of modern electronic sounds with traditional instruments hailing from Turkey and the Middle East, uniting East and West--the perfect complement for the opening of an international art collection in a city like Istanbul.