A critical view of the relations of art capital, public sphere and art initiatives in Turkey

The present study discusses the concept of the public sphere in relation to the field of contemporary art. It presents a critical perspective on how the idea of a symbolic public sphere, art capital and the organization of the art scene in Turkey are related. It focuses on various understandings of the public sphere concept, forms of contemporary art organizations and ownership relations, after exploring the global neoliberal policies after 1980s and their effects on arts in terms of privatisation processes. It investigates local legislation that set out the framework for the art field and its actors; and discusses if these historic and current developments contribute to the expansion of a symbolic public sphere. The study aims to adapt the fundamental questions of the critical political economy of communication to the field of contemporary art in Turkey. Its main objective is to uncover how the changes in the forces of control over cultural production and distribution limit or liberate the public sphere and its diversity, multivocality and plurality in representation. While theoretically, the study dwells on this wide platform, its basic object of research is the relatively small-scale, independent art initiatives in Turkey which represent an area of academic research that is not yet fully explored, especially not from the crtical political economy approach.