A teahouse is in the Turkish culture an important meetingplace for men. People play 'okey', drink tea and chat for hours at a time. The places are generally basic furnished and look above all 'not designed.' The atmosphere is relaxed, usually no alcohol is served. I am interested in what young people from Turkish descent, feel about the teahouse culture. Do they value it? How would they furnish the space and how do they think a teahouse looks like within fifteen years? Do they appreciate a teahouse where not only men are welcome, but also women? Do they think that a teahouse will still exsist in the future?
In Theehuis Territoria the video "Women in kahves" from Pilvi Takala (1981 Helsinki) was shown. She compares teahouses (or kahves) to living rooms for men. Takala visits various teahouses with three Turkisk women in Istanbul. They drink tea, play okey and behave like the other visitors. With a hidden camera the reactions of the regular visitors are filmed. Takala made this video documentation for the 9th International Istanbul Biennal in 2005.
Commisioned by: Kunstenlab Deventer
Carried out by:Bircan Savas, Nevin Yildiz, Ayse Kisa, Sercan Armut, Serdar Gurcan, Ercugrul Kocak, Brigitte Jansen, Pilvi Takala en Lies Kortenhorst
Period: 25, 26, 27th of May 2006
back
| << | start / stop | >> |