PASAJ hosts an artist every season in collaboration with the Ramada Encore Bayrampaşa hotel in the region. Conceived as a research residency with the title "outgoing and incoming, new and old", Bayrampaşa offers artists a very suitable and interesting environment for multifaceted and interdisciplinary work. Some of the topics that can be studied: deindustrialization, urban planning, social change, regional architecture, economic activities, migration, psychogeography...

 

Ramada Encore Bayrampasa hotel. It is located 20 minutes by metro from Taksim metro station. 

Due to its geographical location, Bayrampaşa, which is located right on the shore of the city walls, was important as a region where military barracks and hospitals were located. It was also a region where there were Greek villages living on agriculture and animal husbandry. After the Balkan War, it started to receive intensive immigration from the Balkans, and from the 1950s and 1960s from the former Yugoslavia and Anatolia. 

Since the 1970s, a region of the district was opened to industrialization and this district started to develop as a residential area and an industrial area. Since the 2000s, the region has become a place where international companies have invested and large shopping complexes have been established. In the last six years, it has again come to the forefront as a region where local and international hotel chains are investing. 

Some of the reasons for these investments can be explained as follows. In Istanbul, whose borders are rapidly expanding, Bayrampaşa is very much within the city as an industrial zone and due to rising land values, factories are moving out of the city and utilizing their land for new investments. Another reason is the large size of the parcels in the industrial zone. While it is difficult to find such large and monolithic plots in Istanbul, Bayrampaşa's industrial identity allows for this. On the other hand, there are still many small workshops actively operating in Bayrampaşa, which is undergoing this transformation process. 

In addition, an urban transformation office was opened in Bayrampaşa for the urban transformation projects implemented throughout Istanbul.

 

As a residential area, Bayrampaşa is known for immigrants from Balkan countries. A large number of Bulgarian and former Yugoslavian immigrants residing in Bayrampaşa have a significant proportion in the population. In this region, immigrant associations, taverns and restaurants are widespread. There are three local newspapers published in the region. 

When we consider Bayrampaşa as a whole, we see that on the one hand it has rapidly entered into a globalized economic network, but at the same time, the sub-industry and workshops continue to operate quite actively. 

The population of Balkan immigrants has become more diversified over the years. The district has a more diverse demographic structure with people coming from Central Anatolia, Black Sea and Thrace. 

​

Selection criteria:

For the 2018 season, two artists will be invited. Criteria such as age, education level, place of origin will not be taken as a basis. It is open to artist groups of maximum 3 people, from a single artist, provided that they share the same room. 

The project proposals submitted must be in line with the concept content and research topics. The proposals will be evaluated by the jury formed by PASAJ based on applicability and creativity.

 

There is no application fee. 

​

 

Facilities provided by the residence:

Ramada Encore Bayrampasa hotel

Breakfast and dinner

24-hour internet access

Weekly laundry service

Artists are responsible for their own research expenses, including their own per diem and transportation costs. 

After the selection, PASAJ may write invitations to the artists to apply for funding for these costs. 

Requests:

Presentation: An artist talk at PASAJ a few days before the end of the residency. 

Publication: 4-6 pages of black and white work on A4 paper for a publication to be published by PASAJ at the end of the program.

For application:

pasajist@gmail.com 

Research plan (maximum one page with visual aids)

Short motivation letter (maximum one page)

CV (education, exhibitions and residencies attended)

Portfolio (relate to your previous artwork, at least five pages)

When submitting your application file, please name it as follows: name_last name_CV 

​