Shop windows and walls meet works of art in Tarsus
A project carried out by the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality through TADEKA brings art into the public sphere by integrating artworks into shop windows in Tarsus. Launched in 2025, the initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between artists and local tradespeople while contributing to the city's cultural identity.
The Tarsus Value-Adding Board (TADEKA), operating under the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Department of Culture, Art and Social Affairs, continues its 'Art Everywhere / Every Space is an Art Gallery' project, which began in 2025. Within the scope of the project, shop windows and workplace walls of tradespeople in Tarsus are being transformed into exhibition spaces for artists' works.
The project aims to take art out of traditional exhibition spaces, making it a part of daily life and reaching wider audiences. Lutfi Hasoğlu, a member of the TADEKA Plastic Arts Board, stated that the initiative strengthens communication between artists and tradespeople and that they have received positive feedback from citizens.
Business owners and artists participating in the practice support the project in terms of both promotion and aesthetic awareness. Participants such as Çiğdem Torul Kara, owner of the Çiğdem Art Workshop, cafe operator Aydan Dirik, and tradespeople Uğur Uslu and Mahmut Aydoğan contribute to the project by hosting artworks in their venues. Artists and business owners who wish to participate in the project can apply through the Tarsus Festival website.