How Did We Get Here: Reading Vasıf Kortun
How Did We Get Here, Salt and Archive Books, 2026
Design: Esen Karol
Design: Esen Karol
“The tyranny of our times is very heavy. It has spread to all corners of the world today. We are all under a pile of rubble, both literally and metaphorically. […] Our concern is to build institutions that will respond to the needs of the time, look to the future, and reshape existing models. Repair is not enough.”
A new book by Salt and Archive Books (Berlin), How Did We Get Here: Reading Vasıf Kortun features an in-depth interview reflecting on the conventions of contemporary cultural institutions while exploring the approaches that shape Vasıf Kortun’s work as a writer, educator, and curator. Conducted by Sezin Romi from Salt, the interview offers a multifaceted perspective on institutional practices in context. It traces the histories of the Istanbul Contemporary Art Project, Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, and Salt—where Kortun served as founding director. Drawing on Kortun’s 2017 talk, “Questions on Institutions,” delivered at Salt upon his departure as Director of Research and Programs, the publication opens up a discussion on the past, present, and future of cultural institutions and their relationship to the public.
“My goal was not to launch an aircraft carrier into the sea, but to release dozens of small boats. We would identify the issues and remove the sinking boats from circulation. At the same time, the institution would no longer function as a huge monolithic mechanism, but would be well-rounded, decent, and diverse. It should not be what I call a ‘megaphone model,’ a place that speaks loudly to its audience without hesitation, saying the same thing to everyone, but never listening.”
Designed by Esen Karol, How Did We Get Here also features texts by Manuel Borja-Villel (art historian and curator), Céline Condorelli (artist), Joshua Decter (writer, curator, theorist, educator, and editor), Charles Esche (curator and writer), Kathy Halbreich (curator), Defne Koryürek (founder of Slow Food Turkey, writer, and activist), Prem Krishnamurthy (designer, curator, educator, and author), and November Paynter (curator).
Beginning with Kortun’s 1977 trip to Western Europe, which sparked his interest in contemporary art, the publication traces his journey from his university years in New York to his first encounters with the Turkish art scene in the late 1980s, his tenure at the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College (1993–1997), and his subsequent work in Turkey. It details his approaches to challenging museological norms and creating space for experimental practices, as well as his academic interests, decolonial perspective, and “horizontal” and “collective” modes of working.
About Vasıf Kortun
Kortun was the founding director of Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center from 2001 to 2010 and of Salt from 2011 to 2017. He co-curated the Taipei Biennial (2008), the 9th International Istanbul Biennial (2005), and the 24th São Paulo Biennial (1998). He also served as director and chief curator of the 3rd International Istanbul Biennial (1992). He is currently a research and curatorial advisor at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art (Doha) and editor of Mathaf Encyclopedia, an online platform that gathers biographies, critical essays, and research tools on modern and contemporary art from the Arab world. Together with Nadia Radwan, he co-curated we refuse_d, which opened at Mathaf in October 2025 and at M HKA (Antwerp) in March 2026. Kortun’s books and texts are available on his website, vasifkortun.com.
* * *
How Did We Get Here: Reading Vasıf Kortun
English, 288 pages
©2026 Salt/Garanti Kültür A.Ş. (Istanbul) and Archive Books (Berlin)
ISBN: 978-3-912226-18-8; 978-625-95407-3-3
Editor: Sezin Romi
Interview: Sezin Romi and Vasıf Kortun
Texts: Manuel Borja-Villel, Céline Condorelli, Joshua Decter, Charles Esche, Kathy Halbreich, Defne Koryürek, Prem Krishnamurthy, November Paynter
Translation: Vasıf Kortun
Copy Editor: Laura Preston
Design: Esen Karol
Cover Photo: Defne Koryürek
Printing: Sena Ofset Ambalaj Matbaacılık Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti. (Istanbul)
Available at: www.archivebooks.org and Robinson Crusoe 389 Bookstore (Salt Beyoğlu and Salt Galata)
This publication has been made possible by İsak Antika, with additional support from Can Elgiz.
*The publication takes its title from the exhibition How did we get here, held at Salt Beyoğlu and Salt Galata, Istanbul, in 2015.
A new book by Salt and Archive Books (Berlin), How Did We Get Here: Reading Vasıf Kortun features an in-depth interview reflecting on the conventions of contemporary cultural institutions while exploring the approaches that shape Vasıf Kortun’s work as a writer, educator, and curator. Conducted by Sezin Romi from Salt, the interview offers a multifaceted perspective on institutional practices in context. It traces the histories of the Istanbul Contemporary Art Project, Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, and Salt—where Kortun served as founding director. Drawing on Kortun’s 2017 talk, “Questions on Institutions,” delivered at Salt upon his departure as Director of Research and Programs, the publication opens up a discussion on the past, present, and future of cultural institutions and their relationship to the public.
“My goal was not to launch an aircraft carrier into the sea, but to release dozens of small boats. We would identify the issues and remove the sinking boats from circulation. At the same time, the institution would no longer function as a huge monolithic mechanism, but would be well-rounded, decent, and diverse. It should not be what I call a ‘megaphone model,’ a place that speaks loudly to its audience without hesitation, saying the same thing to everyone, but never listening.”
Designed by Esen Karol, How Did We Get Here also features texts by Manuel Borja-Villel (art historian and curator), Céline Condorelli (artist), Joshua Decter (writer, curator, theorist, educator, and editor), Charles Esche (curator and writer), Kathy Halbreich (curator), Defne Koryürek (founder of Slow Food Turkey, writer, and activist), Prem Krishnamurthy (designer, curator, educator, and author), and November Paynter (curator).
Beginning with Kortun’s 1977 trip to Western Europe, which sparked his interest in contemporary art, the publication traces his journey from his university years in New York to his first encounters with the Turkish art scene in the late 1980s, his tenure at the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College (1993–1997), and his subsequent work in Turkey. It details his approaches to challenging museological norms and creating space for experimental practices, as well as his academic interests, decolonial perspective, and “horizontal” and “collective” modes of working.
About Vasıf Kortun
Kortun was the founding director of Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center from 2001 to 2010 and of Salt from 2011 to 2017. He co-curated the Taipei Biennial (2008), the 9th International Istanbul Biennial (2005), and the 24th São Paulo Biennial (1998). He also served as director and chief curator of the 3rd International Istanbul Biennial (1992). He is currently a research and curatorial advisor at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art (Doha) and editor of Mathaf Encyclopedia, an online platform that gathers biographies, critical essays, and research tools on modern and contemporary art from the Arab world. Together with Nadia Radwan, he co-curated we refuse_d, which opened at Mathaf in October 2025 and at M HKA (Antwerp) in March 2026. Kortun’s books and texts are available on his website, vasifkortun.com.
How Did We Get Here: Reading Vasıf Kortun
English, 288 pages
©2026 Salt/Garanti Kültür A.Ş. (Istanbul) and Archive Books (Berlin)
ISBN: 978-3-912226-18-8; 978-625-95407-3-3
Editor: Sezin Romi
Interview: Sezin Romi and Vasıf Kortun
Texts: Manuel Borja-Villel, Céline Condorelli, Joshua Decter, Charles Esche, Kathy Halbreich, Defne Koryürek, Prem Krishnamurthy, November Paynter
Translation: Vasıf Kortun
Copy Editor: Laura Preston
Design: Esen Karol
Cover Photo: Defne Koryürek
Printing: Sena Ofset Ambalaj Matbaacılık Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti. (Istanbul)
Available at: www.archivebooks.org and Robinson Crusoe 389 Bookstore (Salt Beyoğlu and Salt Galata)
This publication has been made possible by İsak Antika, with additional support from Can Elgiz.
*The publication takes its title from the exhibition How did we get here, held at Salt Beyoğlu and Salt Galata, Istanbul, in 2015.
