Journey to the history of furniture with an ‘exhibition’

The ‘DATUMM’ project, which was initiated by academics in Izmir in order to shed light on recent history by examining the change and development in the field of furniture in Turkey, was crowned with an exhibition opened in Kordon. The change our country has shown in the field of furniture in the last 100 years is explained with 40 photographs showing old and new trends in the exhibition at the Tırtıl Exhibition Unit. The exhibition will be available for the audience throughout the summer season.

The project named Documentation and Archiving-Modern Furniture in Turkey (DATUMM) was implemented in order to bring the rich history of furniture design in our country into historical memory together with its actors. Prof. Dr. Deniz Hasırcı from IUE Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design and Prof. Dr. Zeynep Tuna Ultav, Head of Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design of Yaşar University co-coordinated the project. Exemplary project progressed with the participation of PhD candidate Melis Örnekoğlu Selçuk, who is working as a researcher at Ghent University, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Deniz Avcı Hosanlı from IUE.

BOOK SERIES PREPARED

Panels were held and international articles were published within the scope of the project, which examined the phases of the change in the field of furniture from 1920 until today in our country from a scientific and historical perspective. Deniz Hasırcı, Zeynep Tuna Ultav and Melis Örnekoğlu Selçuk have published 3 different books with the title ‘Sözlü Tarih Yöntemiyle Türkiye’de Mobilya ve İçmimarlık Tarihini Okumak’ (Reading the History of Furniture and Interior Architecture in Turkey with the Oral History Method). These books met with readers through Izmir University of Economics Publications. The DATUMM project, one of the most comprehensive studies that unearthed the history of modern furniture in Turkey, finally reached the people of Izmir with an exhibition.

DIGITAL ARCHIVE COMING

Giving information about the project, Prof. Dr. Deniz Hasırcı said, “The DATUMM project is a very comprehensive study that reflects the history of our country in the field of modern furniture in detail. We visited many cities of Turkey and examined historical documents for this study. We obtained photos of some works from the archives, and some we took ourselves. We brought them together in an outdoor exhibition. We have also used photographs of historical furniture in many scientific studies and books. In the exhibition, there are visuals of furniture that used glass and metal in the old period and stands out with their simplicity. In addition to these, there are furniture types that reflect Turkish culture, used in the industrial area or in our homes. We attach great importance to the project in terms of creating a comprehensive documentation and digital archive in the field of furniture.”

TURNED INTO AN ART EVENT

Stating that the project turning into an art event and meeting with the people of Izmir made them very happy, Prof. Dr. Hasırcı said, “Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Mediterranean Academy also supported us in the exhibition we opened in Kordon. Asst. Prof. Dr. Aren Emre Kurtgözü from Ankara TED University undertook the design management of the exhibition. While the graphic design of the exhibition was done by Didem Erişkin, the coordination of the exhibition was carried out by Özgür Yurttaş Erda. Ali İnceoğlu also provided great support to the formation of the DATUMM project with his photographs and films. We are looking forward to seeing all residents of Izmir in this exhibition, which will be open throughout the summer season.”