These photographs of playing children were taken by Sitki Kösemen, photographer and architect, in Istanbul. It’s scaring how kids-games can become reality elsewhere…

Ayvansaray is one of the areas being rapidly gentrified at the moment. The inhabitants of the quarter have different ways to deal with the fact, that they most probably will have to leave their houses and working spaces to wealthier people. A certain kind of urban dialogue emerges from the different icons being used in the quarter.

Once upon a time there was a well known art gallery.

Rosa Luxemburg  was a founding member of the German Communist Party. Parts of the so called “Freekorps”- units killed her and her Comrade Karl Liebknecht on the 15th of January 1919. They held them responsible for prior riots following a general strike in Berlin.

Liebknecht and Luxemburg were part of a minority of people critisising the massacre of Armenians durnig the first world war and pleeding for international socialism and standards of human rights.

The Freekorps units were mainly consisting of retired soldiers and people with antirepublican political views.

Jason Lutes Graphic Novel Triology about Berlin before WW II. describes in a fictional story the clashes between Communists and the rising Nazi-movement. In the first book “Berlin city of Stones” the depression and anger in the workers movement after the murder of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht is one main topic.

Most Germans beleived in the propaganda against the communist movement. Until today the older generation isn’t aware of the fact, that the song “There is a corps swimming in the Landwehrkanal” isn’t a nice folksong, but an awful blasphemy on Rosa Luxemburg’s death.

Hassan Khan was presented in a complex magnificant show at the Museum Salt Istiklal (21.09.12-06.01.13). The Egyptian artist participated in a serial of events, several talks, a filmscreening and the final Music-performance “Superstructure II.” at the music club Ghetto.

Ghetto from InEnArt on Vimeo.

Listen to Sperstructure II and watch the other visuals beside!

Khan likes to compare Istanbul and Cairo. For him both metropoles have similaritis. They are chaotic melting pots with a buzzing scene of upcoming artists and other creatives gaining space in the central city spaces. But it is important to realize the distortion of daily life in this rapidly changing environments. This fact is beautifully picked as a central theme in the Videoinstallation below. A working couple using its freetime after work to walk through Cairo and to fight the whole time 🙂

Hassan Khan from InEnArt on Vimeo.

The Distorted Mirror is a project for Artist producing Comic Artworks coordinated by Vladimir Palibrk from the Gallery Elektrika.

Elektrika is an alternative art space located in the town of Pancevo besides Belgrade.

In the Distorted Mirror vol. 1 Comic Artists from all over the world were producing their visions or dreams of famous people, central events, internationally known places or universal subjects.

A date with Nick Cave, an audience with Hillary Clinton in the White House or a nightmare about the dream of a father meeting Serbian President Milosevic are among the artworks in this most complex and diverse high quality underground graphic novel sampler.

Elektrika is making an Open Call for Distorted Mirror vol.2 at the moment. Submissions are accepted until 15th January and even later if artists contact Vladimir Palibrk per e-mail. Find the open call here:

http://www.facebook.com/events/481302145235773/