SALT (institution)

This article is about SALT, a cultural institution in Istanbul. For the SALT treaty, see Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.

SALT was founded in Istanbul in April 2011 as a not-for-profit cultural institution. It conducts interdisciplinary research projects, and hosts public programs such as exhibitions, talks, film screenings, lectures, performances, and workshops.[1][2] SALT is a member of L’Internationale—a confederation of European museums which aims towards a shared use of collections and archives. Far from championing a hierarchical and centralized internationalism, L’Internationale consists of a constellation of cultural agents that are locally rooted and globally connected. It proposes a space for art within a non-hierarchical and decentralised internationalism, based on the values of difference and horizontal exchange.[3]

History & Development

SALT was founded with the support of Garanti Bank after the restructuring of Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, Ottoman Bank Archives and Research Center, and Garanti Gallery as a single, autonomous institution. SALT fosters an innovative and experimental intellectual climate in order to spark learning and discussions around critical and timely cultural matters.

Buildings

SALT Beyoğlu opened on April 9, 2011, with an exhibition area of 1130 m2, spaces for social interaction, and a garden on the fourth floor. The history of the building on İstiklal Avenue dates back to 1850s-1860s. During that period it was known as “Siniossoglou Apartment,” with the ground floor hosting various commercial activities, while the upper floors were for residential use. When the population of Beyoğlu dropped in the 1950s, residential activity in the building came to an end, and commercial, political, and cultural programs took over. Programs at SALT Beyoğlu have been temporarily suspended in order to assess spatial revisions.[4]

SALT Galata opened on November 22, 2011, on Bankalar Caddesi. The building was originally designed as the headquarters of the Ottoman Bank by Aléxandre Vallaury. Today, it hosts SALT Research (a comprehensive library with substantial archival holdings) and the Ottoman Bank Museum, as well as spaces for workshops, exhibitions, and conferences.[1]

SALT Ulus, which opened on April 3, 2013, is an annex to the former Ottoman Bank facing Gençlik Park in Ankara, which is a renowned landscape project of the Republican era. The main building, now a branch of Garanti Bank, was designed by Istanbul-based Levantine architect Giulio Mongeri, and dates back to 1926.

SALT Research

The library and archival collections of SALT Research focus on art, architecture, urbanism, and social and economic histories. Its physical and digital holdings are available for public use.

SALT Research Funds

SALT Research Funds were established by SALT in 2013 with the objective of supporting experimental thinking, research, and analysis of societal changes and developments from multiple critical vantage points. Since then, SALT has granted an annual sum of 60,000 TL to six projects[5] investigating areas of research such as the built environment, modernity, memory politics, and forgotten histories.

SALT E-publications

SALT e-publications[6] can be read in PDF or EPUB formats, transferred to mobile devices, or printed if desired.

Exhibitions

SALT has organized the following exhibitions since April 2011:

References

  1. 1 2 Suzy Hansen (10 February 2012). The Istanbul Art-Boom Bubble The New York Times. Accessed May 2016.
  2. ↑ Art boom: Greater importance is being placed on arts and culture. In: The Report: Turkey 2012. Oxford: Oxford Business Group. Accessed May 2016.
  3. ↑ Confederation – L'Internationale. L'Internationale. Accessed May 2016.
  4. ↑ "SALT Beyoğlu". SALT Online. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Six projects receive SALT Research Funds in 2013". SALT Online. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "SALT Bookshelf". SALT Online. Retrieved 10 August 2016.

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