The start of a new Trelex Residency.

The first photo I took in Irmak's studio was the view.

My first meeting with Irmak was in his studio in Istanbul in April 2010. I was studying for my MA at the Slade and this was our annual study trip which included a visit to this artist. I hadn't been to very many artists studios outside art schools so I was very curious to see how a 'real' artist worked. Seeing Irmak's studio was highly motivating and I now know that few artists get to work in such a lovely space, let alone have such a great sense of order and spatial organisation. I only got to visit three more artists studios before I set up my own in Trelex and Irmak's studio was very present in my mind, perhaps because we have a lot in common as artists. It was the sort of work space I could only aspire to at the time.

Irmak (second from left) with some of the Slade
students on a gallery tour after his studio visit.

Fast forward to a few years later when Irmak sends me a pdf file with a full description of a residency including immaculate floor plans, timetable, a lovely text about how it ties with a previous project he did. My heart skips a beat because this residency will have no application forms, will be advertised by word of mouth and will be open to all on a first come first served basis. He was going for the Trelex Model of residencies.

I knew Irmak wanted to set up a residency but I had only talked to him about it once when I had met him in Istanbul airport a year earlier on my way to visit a Trelex alumni in Israel. During a slightly rushed meeting I had ranted on breathlessly about my experiences of welcoming a large number of artists without application forms in my studio in Switzerland and at that point already a few in the Peruvian Amazon with the help of the enterprising Kurt Holle.

I had talked about how not restricting myself to artists I identify with or understand had widened my artistic horizons considerably; how not having to read stacks of application forms meant there was virtually no admin load; how word of mouth had reached nearly every continent so quickly; how taking the risk of trusting artists I had never met to share my studio generated incredible goodwill and intellectual generosity on their part setting the stage for the most engaged and deep discussions; how not having selected artists and promised them anything other than what is honestly described on the website means they take responsibility for their needs while on the residency; how important it was not to set any boundaries and make any specific demand in terms of output such as exhibitions, talks etc because artists will do best when given carte blanche for a change; how crucial it was to be inclusive and leave the opportunity open to artists with children; how application forms where artists put on paper what they intend to deliver months in advance is like putting the cart in front of the horses and restricts creativity to ideas that may be out of the date by the time the residency begins.

I tried to answer Irma's concerns as best I could. Hosting a Trelex Residency requires an incredible leap of faith. While I have never regretted doing this and have enjoyed it more than I could possibly imagine, I understand its a concept that may take some getting used to!

I talked till I was blue in the face as I have a propensity to do but Irmak listened with warm interest, asked a ton of encouraging questions. Still, as I ran for my gate I worried I might have completely overwhelmed him and that no one in their right mind would want to do what I have done. Irmak after all lives in a vibrant part of Istanbul with a ton of galleries and artists on his door step and alumni networks that spans continents already. 

So when a year later, I read his residency proposal I was moved beyond words that he is willing to take this risk. It is my hope that many others will follow in our crazy footsteps and join us in our dream for large numbers of free art residencies without application forms, hosted either by artists or by any of the numerous people in the world who have curiosity and goodwill towards the artistic process. I certainly believe there are enough spare beds, desks and spaces in the world for that small minority of artists willing to go on a residency that isn't a prize awarded to the few, for which they have not been selected (but for which they will never know any rejections either), purely because they hope to develop their work in a new production framework and have the curiosity and trust to take the risk of coming on a Trelex residency.

And I hope one day to make it possible for myself to take a month out of my normal life and studio practice to create alongside the wonderful and generous Irmak in his beautiful studio so that we can indulge in exchange and discussion without Skype breaking up our sentences or looking at the time.

A flavour of Istanbul.