The “Discovering Spaces” seminar invites a dialogue on the intertwining of architectural practice with artistic research and thought, encompassing a broad spectrum of interfaces, including scenography, exhibition design, stage design, and installation, where not only creative intentions but also conceptual and exploratory aspects come into play.
In this context, the tension between the desire for continuity of the constructed and the desire for the disappearance of the imaginary will be addressed along with the thinking mode and the concepts of thinking-by-doing, which Claude Lévi-Strauss referred to as ‘wild thought’ (pensée sauvage).
Aslıhan Demirtaş is the founder of Aslıhan Demirtaş Architecture, Design & Research Studio and KHORA Office, an expanded architectural practice based on research, art, and ecology. Following her undergraduate studies at METU and graduate studies at MIT, she collaborated with Pritzker Prize laureate I.M. Pei as a lead designer on projects such as the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, and the Miho Chapel in Japan. She initially established her practice in New York City before relocating to Istanbul. In addition to her practice, she has led studios at Parsons at The New School and İstanbul Bilgi University and was among the founders of the Urban and Architectural Studies Graduate Program at Kadir Has University. Her works have been exhibited at venues such as SALT Galata, Ulus, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, Aronson Gallery, collectorspace, and the Sharjah Biennial. Supported by the Graham Foundation, Demirtaş is currently preparing the book “Vaccination.” In 2022, she served on the technical review committee for the 15th Cycle Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Jorela Karriqi is an architect conducting interdisciplinary studies in architecture with a research-oriented approach. Her designs combine the latent potentials of space, light, and material with scenographic narratives. Beginning her education at Istanbul Technical University and completing her undergraduate studies there, she continued her graduate studies in Art and Design at Kadir Has University after completing the Akbank Contemporary Art and Curatorial Program. Karriqi has collaborated with cultural institutions such as Postane Istanbul, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, and SALT throughout her career. She continues her workshop-architectural practice at Studio VETA III, which she founded.
