TIMEOUT - You are known as an independent artist. Artists find it difficult to come out of their shell and they even have a hard time opening an exhibition. You are both active in your personal work and you started an exhibition space. How did Apartment Project come about, I am curious, are there similar projects abroad? Selda Asal - When Apartment Project began functioning in 1999 there were only a few contemporary art galleries in Istanbul. Since they closed down and AKM began asking for rent to host exhibitions; this project intended to fill in this gap in the field of contemporary art, to involve people outside the contemporary art scene in its activities using the three windows facing the street and to initiate interdisciplinary work. With the emergence of other contemporary art galleries like Platform, Aksanat and Karsi Sanat in the following years Apartment Project became an international project space where mostly young artists presented their first exhibitions. As far as I know, internationally artist ”run spaces emerged in the 70s, but Turkey joined in much later. Apartment Project is the first artist-run space to open in Turkey. Bir Dukkan and Loft - which are now closed “ followed it. Although some closed down in time, new ones like Bas, Pist, 6 Aylik and Galata Perform in Istanbul and K2 in Izmir were opened later. TO - This seems to fall outside the familiar gallery system, what are the differences? SA - It is an artist-run space. It takes some risks galleries would not. Because it is not-for profit, it doesn’t have any money. But as people who believed in the project began supporting it, it created its own group of supporters. Most projects exhibited at Apartment Project involve video and audio installations. Companies like Arcelik, Beko and Philips supported us and loaned us equipment like projectors and DVD players. Sometimes Tekel provides the drinks for the openings. Trafo/Rafineri support us with many details like invitations and posters. Artworks are not sold at Apartment project, but we do refer individuals who would like to buy the work to the artists themselves. For the duration of the exhibitions Apartment Project becomes a meeting point for artists, writers, painters, and others who work in creative fields. These are the differences that come to mind right away. TO - Did you achieve the results you aimed for? SA - It seems to me like nobody can easily say that they have accomplished what they aimed for. I can’t exactly say what percentage of its goals Apartment Project achieved, but I can say for sure that it hasn’t accomplished many things I imagined. And this is because - as you said - the fact that I am always participating in and preparing for an exhibition somewhere keeps me back from contributing to Apartment Project at the speed I want to. TO - Do you think about developing the project? Are you in contact with other institutions, what are their reactions to Apartment Project? SA - It would be great if there was an increase in the number of artists participating in this project. Artists periodically contribute to the projects and later disappear to work on another exhibition, just like me. This project has a potential that can be developed by artists and young people who have management capacities and art management education. We are constantly receiving national and international exhibition proposals, but unfortunately we do not have the time to work on most of them. Nationally we hold meetings with other artist initiatives and artist-run spaces. We support each other in every possible way. Also in terms of equipment: projectors, DVD players etc. Everybody shares what they have at hand. I think this is the good thing about Turkey. Everybody helps each other out; everybody supports every project by all means. TO - Do you show artwork in these exhibitions? SA - At Apartment Project we host inter-disciplinary projects, audio installations, performances and happenings as well as exhibitions. TO - Who can apply? Is it open to everybody or do you make a selection? SA - Apartment Project is open to everybody who is engaged with audio, film, performance, objects, writing and drawing. Everybody who has a different point of view and something different to say. Artists contact me through the internet. Then we meet; look at their portfolios and talk. Usually friends who teach at universities refer their students to me. TO - Whose work are we going to see in July? SA - We imagined the months of July and August as a preparation period for the exhibition ‘Everything About Lies’ which is going to open on September 1st. During these months the space will be open twenty four hours a day for the artists to work inside. They will write and draw all around the space - on the walls, the windows, the ceiling and the floor “ so that it will be packed with lies that will overflow on to the street. This will be an open process where passers by will be able to walk in if they are interested. At the opening the videos presented in the exhibition will be projected on the walls of the buildings across. And afterwards they will be shown inside the space. We are open to artists who have produced work about lies. We can be reached by e mail at info@apartmentproject.com or seldaasal@yahoo.com and information about this project can be found at www.apartmentproject.com.