Ahmet Gunestekin's 'Kostantiniyye' Removed in Istanbul Censorship Case

In Istanbul, as the city prepares for the Biennale curated by Elmgreen & Dragset, a censorship case has emerged. Kurdish-Turkish artist Ahmet Gunestekin's installation 'Kostantiniyye' (Constantinople) was contested, censored, and removed. The work, previously shown at the 2015 Venice Biennale collateral events, was placed in front of a shopping center in the Atakoy district. It features the ancient name of Istanbul in large letters, along with mirrors, images of places of worship, lost monuments, and religious symbols, overlaying the city's diverse history. Protest groups, encouraged by local media, surrounded the installation. Alper Tan, director of Channel A, tweeted against the work. The artist received no public or professional solidarity in Turkey. The Metropolitan Municipality covered the work with black plastic and removed it on December 24 for public safety reasons. Gunestekin, born in 1966, stated, 'It is tragicomic that people accuse me of not respecting history without knowing how rich our history is.' The work summarizes the city's names: Byzantion, Byzantium, Nuova Roma, Constantinople, Constantinopolis, Dersaadet, Islambol, Asitane, Dar-ul-Hilafet.