The Moving Museum Istanbul – Residency Studios in Caferiye Han

The Moving Museum utilized studios within the historic community of Caferiye Han in the Golden Horn area, a textile focused Han that has been in continual use since it was built by Persian merchants in the 19th Century. Artists were prodived studios within the Han to produce works during the residency. 

The Caferiye Han was built in the 19th century in Mercan Istanbul. It has continued to be an active workplace, production studios and storage halls for the ‘makers’ of the city’s traders in apparel, hats, and uniforms. Istanbul’s Han workplace infrastructure mirror’s many of the values sought in the contemporary entrepreneurship cultures of knowledge creation, creative industries and maker’s synergy. The re-thinking of the Han workplace/production sub-culture both allows to intensify the uses of many under utilized buildings in the historic peninsula, but also rehearse ways timeless industry and new economies can co-create and co-flourish in concert.

This city research will observe and document the formal and business changes in Caferiye Han as a variety of studios are let, sub-let and programmed for activities. 

As part of the Public Programme The Moving Museum hosted several offsite projects within the Caferiye Han. Converting studio units in the historic Eminonu District into a temporary exhibition space during the Residency. We hosted a month long solo show by David Douard and an exhibition by Peles  Empire featuring artists Daniel Sinsel, Phillip  Zach, Magali Reus, Maria Loboda lasting two months. Collective Ha Za Vu Zu also hosted a major performance as part of a crying workshop. Studios were occupied by Hannah Perry, Peles Empire, Ben Schumacher, David Douard among others for the duration of their residency in Istanbul.