July – August 2025

Issue 29 is Now Available!

 

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
CYPRUS SPECIAL ISSUE
Cyprus, a place we know by heart as the "baby homeland," has recently become known by mafia names, a hub for casinos and money laundering...

Yet, neither this "baby homeland" description nor the perception that it's a hub for a network of shady dealings suffices to understand Cyprus. These approaches remain quite superficial, provisional, and reductive.

About a month ago, when I was invited to Cyprus for a press tour, I paused. I was surprised. I wrote a few words and did some research online. I discovered that a university called ARUCAD, focused solely on art and design, had been established. The same institution also housed a Rodin Museum. A gallery called Art Rooms was part of this initiative. Perhaps it was my blindness, but I hadn't been aware of what was happening in Cyprus for a long time, not just in recent years.

The last time I went to Cyprus was when I was a child, my late father took us there. My father was an intellectual man who read extensively, spoke many languages, had a zest for life, and was friends with artists and journalists. He must have taken us to Cyprus not once, but several times. I was very young then, but Cyprus left a mark on my mind. Such a man certainly didn't go there looking for a casino. He cared about the history and cultural fabric of Cyprus. We had many books about Cyprus in our home. Moreover, I'm certain this interest wasn't due to any nationalistic tendencies. Having lost my father so young, I never had the opportunity to ask him why Cyprus was important to him. However, years later, with an invitation from Banu Zeytinoğlu and her team to visit Cyprus, this island, etched in my memories, returned to my mind.

I decided to go, not with great expectations, but also by putting aside my preconceived notions about the negative perceptions that had developed in recent years.

And Cyprus opened the doors to a completely different world for me. Anber Onar's exhibition "In Case…," curated by Oya Silbery at Art Rooms, was one of the most impressive exhibitions I've seen in recent years. Curator Oya Silbery, who is also the gallery's artist, is a jack of all trades. ARUCAD University, which focuses solely on art and design and offers education in historic, low-rise buildings, boasts an international student and faculty staff. It has such a charming, characterful, and Mediterranean campus that it makes you want to come back.

It was through this trip that I met Emin Çizenel, a star-studded academy graduate. Çizenel, an artist whose unique style and personality will captivate wherever he travels, is perhaps a shame for me not having heard of him before. Hüseyin Özinal, whose interview you'll read in this issue, is someone with deep concerns you'll want to talk to for hours. Artist Anber Onar is one of Cyprus's leading cultural figures. He has undertaken significant projects through the currently defunct initiative SideStreets.

İsmail Gökçe, who created the photographs in this issue, is also a notable artist with his photography exhibitions.

And Asil Köylü, whom we feature on the cover. The central figure behind the cultural and artistic scene in Cyprus is businessman and artist Erbil Arkın, who is also a Rodin collector. Arkın, who immigrated to England with his family at the age of three, began painting at a very young age. He was so talented that his teachers encouraged him to pursue this path. However, financial constraints forced him to change departments. At sixteen, he fell in love with a Rodin sculpture he saw in a museum. Two years later, upon his first visit to Cyprus, he was so excited he asked, "Was I born here?" Arkın realized his dream of establishing a university focused solely on art and design. His other big dream is the massive monumental sculpture designed for installation in the Karpaz region of Cyprus: Noble Villager.

The university's newly opened Bandabulya performance stage, the İskele Art Hotel, which houses hundreds of works of art, and much more…

In this issue, we've brought together the topics that first caught our eye in Cyprus and truly deserve to be mentioned. Our Cyprus section is not yet complete; there are many more names and stories to tell.

I don't think we've ever truly understood Cyprus, or even formed a proper opinion about it. This issue is the product of our effort to look at Cyprus from a perspective outside established perceptions. It's also an issue in which we specifically emphasize the extremely exciting developments taking place in the field of culture and art on Cyprus, one of the Mediterranean's most important islands.

This issue also features the second part of Dick Van Zuijlen's interview with AI, "Just Asking," which we featured on the cover of the previous issue. Following the first part, the author and the AI engage in a rather philosophical conversation. It seems we'll be reaching a critical juncture in the next part of this series...

Yes, in the third part, a new artificial intelligence will be designed. Could a machine mind be built that maintains its integrity even under pressure, focused on seeking the truth?

It is neither perfect. Nor obedient. Nor human-like.

 

It is usually delivered to the cargo courier within 1-3 business days. Orders placed after 16:00 will be shipped the next day.

Delivery time may be longer for products that can be produced after order, such as furniture. For urgent orders, you can get information by contacting us via Instagram before ordering.

If you notice any crushing or damage to your cargo package, we kindly ask you to take a photo/video and share it with us before opening the package. This step is of great importance in terms of detecting any damage that may occur during transportation and managing the process smoothly with the cargo company.