Spaces of Culture

Through discussions, excursions and other interactive social design methods, ‘Foodcraft: Connecting Cultures through Co-Creation’ asks Syrian and Turkish participants to think about traditional food culture in a new way. During an intense one-week design workshop led by designers Nicoline Dorsman and Roland Pieter Smit of the Netherlands, Istanbul’s Aslı Kıyak İngin and Gaziantep’s Mehmet Akif Kanar, participants research the cultural heritage and habits of food in Gaziantep, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy as of 2015. To visualize their findings, participants work with local artisans to develop prototypes and test their designs, such as a rice pot with a built-in holder for coal and pistachio-shaped copper buttons for woven kutnu shirts. The workshop culminates in an exhibition of diverse designs created from various local materials like cooper, clay, leather and wool. These items, and the knowledge, opinions and ideas exchanged during the workshop, symbolize cultural collaboration among Syrian and Turkish communities and aim to inspire new initiatives and innovative designs for the future.

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