Istanbul’s streets have been turned into a moving canvas as part of a multidisciplinary artwork, "Istanbul Map: Art of Running," marking the 30th anniversary of the Turkish Educational Volunteers Foundation (TEGV).
The project was developed by contemporary artist Halil Altındere in collaboration with endurance runner and TEGV board member Ahmet Uysal and unveiled at Pera Museum, where it is presented as a photo-performance piece produced in an edition of 30.
Measuring 80 by 125 centimeters, the artwork is printed on Hahnemühle fine art paper using archival techniques. At its core lies a six-day running performance in which Uysal traversed a demanding route across Istanbul, from Küçükçekmece to Beşiktaş.
Planned with GPS technology, the route traces the phrase “TEGV 30” when viewed from above, transforming the city’s streets into a typographic composition.
Altındere said the project builds on a long-term artistic interest in the limits of the body and the city as a living surface.
Using GPS data rather than conventional photography, the runner’s movements were translated into a visual form that avoids the aesthetic of sports tracking apps.
“It is both a print and a performance,” the artist noted, adding that the preparation process took nearly a year.
Uysal, who has previously completed extreme endurance challenges such as the North Pole Marathon and the World Marathon Challenge, described the Istanbul run as unusually demanding.
Navigating industrial zones, residential neighborhoods and inner-city highways while following real-time GPS instructions, he said the experience offered a new perspective on the city he has lived in for most of his life.
The world is offered for sale in 30 editions, accompanied by a USB containing satellite-recorded footage of the run, with proceeds directed to TEGV.
