10.06.2024
Istanbul hosted the 15th International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC) this year. Organized by the Istanbul Carpet Exporters’ Association (IHIB) with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Trade, and sponsored by the Istanbul Textile and Raw Material Exporters’ Association (ITHIB) and Arkas Art Bornova, the conference took place at The Marmara Taksim between June 6-9 and featured a talk titled “A Look at Anatolian Carpets in the Arkas Collection” by Arkas Art Director Mujde Unustasi and Arkas Carpet Collection Consultant Altug Onder.
The ICOC, held every four years and regarded as one of the world’s foremost organizations in carpet studies, selected Istanbul for its first event after the pandemic, reaffirming Anatolia as the cradle of carpets, rugs, and weaving art to the global audience once more. The conference, held at The Marmara Taksim from June 6-9, featured numerous academic sessions and provided an excellent opportunity to preserve and transmit traditional carpet art to future generations. The conference was attended by world-renowned experts in carpets, rugs, and weaving, alongside numerous art historians, academics, and collectors.
The opening speech of the ICOC academic sessions was delivered by Islamic Arts and Middle Eastern History expert Prof. Walter Denny. After discussing the past and present of carpet art through various examples, the renowned academician addressed the future of studies in this field. After Prof. Denny’s speech, leading academics and experts in the field presented papers on the past, present, and future of weaving art during the two-day academic sessions. Grouped by geographical origin, the papers covered structural analysis, techniques, designs, production methods, origins, dating, documented evidence, scientific testing, collections and collectors, forgeries and copies, as well as conservation and restoration practices.
Alongside the conference, the Antique Carpet Fair, hosted at The Marmara Taksim, featured traditional carpets from North Africa, Anatolia, Central Asia, Iran, the Caucasus, India, Tibet, and the Far East. The exhibition included examples of nomadic, village, and local weavings, as well as plain weave textiles.
A Look at Anatolian Carpets in the Arkas Art Collection
On June 7, Arkas Art Director Mujde Unustasi, along with Arkas Carpet Collection Consultant Altug Onder, delivered a presentation titled “A Look at Anatolian Carpets in the Arkas Collection.” In her speech, Unustasi evaluated the past and future of hand-woven carpet art in Türkiye, reflecting on exhibitions organized by Arkas Art over the years: “Since 2015, we have endeavored to preserve and promote this significant cultural heritage through exhibitions and projects aimed at reintroducing carpet art to a broad audience in Türkiye and abroad.”
Mujde Unustasi explained the story of Arkas Art Bornova, opened in 2023, which showcases a significant selection of Anatolian carpets from the Arkas Art Collection: “We preserve each carpet in our collection to museum standards to enhance the appreciation of carpets as both an art form and a source of inspiration. We believe that raising funds for further research will offer new perspectives and connections in the field of carpet studies. At Arkas Art, we undertake various projects to make art accessible and contribute to the preservation of significant historical buildings in Izmir. One of these projects is the Arkas Art Bornova Mattheys Mansion. We restored an old Levantine mansion in Bornova and dedicated an entire floor to a carpet exhibition. Arkas Art Bornova Mattheys Mansion opened its doors in 2023 as our fourth art center in Izmir. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, Central and Western Anatolia produced some of the most important examples of Anatolian carpets. With this selection, our aim is to foster a more comprehensive understanding of the artistic and cultural history of carpet weaving, and to highlight the significance of Turkish hand-woven carpets. The exhibition features the most prestigious carpets of the period, known by names such as Lotto, Holbein, Ghirlandaio, and Bellini.”
Arkas Carpet Collection Consultant Altug Onder discussed the subject through examples. In his speech, Onder shared the stories of some of the Ottoman Palace carpets in the Arkas Carpet Collection with the participants. Focusing on Feshane, Hereke, and Kumkapi carpets, the audience had the opportunity to compare various artifacts and production techniques from different periods.
Usak, London, Berlin, Istanbul..
Organized by the Christopher Farr brand, the “Women Behind the Weave” exhibition returned to its homeland after London and Berlin and met with the audience again at the conference. The exhibition consists of contemporary carpets and rugs produced by women weavers in Usak. The proceeds from the sales of the exhibited weavings will be used to establish a weaving workshop in Hatay, one of the areas most affected by the February 6th earthquakes.
Antique Carpet in the Palace, Contemporary Weaving in the Gallery
In addition to the conference and the fair, this year’s program of the International Conference on Oriental Carpets includes the following events: the main exhibitions at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts Dolmabahce Palace Art Gallery and Tophane-i Amire; artist Belkis Balpinar‘s pop-up exhibition at Anna Laudel Gallery; a selection from the Josephine Powell collection at VKV Buyukdere House; and parallel exhibitions at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts featuring works from the collections of Anas Al Akhoann and Sandre Blake.
The exhibition “Woven Treasures: Carpets and Fabrics from the Ottoman Palace” at the Dolmabahce Palace Art Gallery and the “Colors of Anatolia: Rugs from Private Collections” exhibition at Tophane-i Amire opened alongside the conference and will be open for visit for a month.
After the conference, a large group of ICOC participants will visit the Arkas Art Bornova Mattheys Mansion in Izmir to personally see the selection of 15th-19th century Anatolian Carpets from the Arkas Carpet Collection.
