Exploring material culture of carpets in Turkey via an art project

This article reports on an art project carried out by undergraduates in a core course entitled ‘Art and Innovation’ offered at Koc University in Istanbul, based on traditional handmade Turkish carpets. The project enables 23 undergraduates from various disciplines to become acquainted with material culture and art as they reflect on the carpets’ declining presence in contemporary culture. The goals of the project are first to acquaint the students with the art history and symbolism of carpets from Turkey, then to invite students to investigate contemporary artworks created in relation to carpets and finally to move into sketching and discussions later to have the students conceptualize an artwork that reflects the changing status of handmade carpets and the weaving tradition as an indicator of transformations in society.