Good People of vitruta: Barış Çakmakçı

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born in 1979 as the only child of a graphic artist father and a primary school teacher mother. Combining the perspective on life through art that I inherited from one and the extroverted social traits from the other, and adding a bit of German discipline to the mix, I turned out to be a bit of a blend. After completing my sociology training at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, I merged it with a master's in Art and Design from Yıldız Technical University, and I became an editor/journalist/writer/curator who strives to understand the past, present, and future. While one side of me tries to understand the aesthetics of the past without falling into the pit of melancholy, the other side is always chasing the newest, most innovative, and most digital aspects.

What is a perfect day for you in Istanbul? What would you do?

When it comes to Istanbul, as Bedri Rahmi said, "Just thinking about it makes the pebbles in my heart warm up." You can understand this from my Instagram posts as well: (@barisch). There’s hardly a day that passes without something surprising me about this city. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, something I’ve never noticed in 40 years of living here will suddenly appear before me. Sometimes it’s a Byzantine cistern in Gedikpaşa, sometimes it’s a dilapidated Jewish cemetery on the slopes of the Bosphorus, or an architect’s signature on the entrance of a building, or even a missionary hospital in a hidden neighborhood of Beyoğlu. I was born, grew up, lived, and am aging here in Istanbul. So, my most enjoyable day in Istanbul is probably every Sunday morning I spend walking aimlessly through different neighborhoods. (I don’t know why, but I have a special fondness for Yedikule, Kandilli, Yeşilköy, and Suadiye.)

What would your ideal vacation look like? What are some of the best places you’ve visited, and do you have any recommendations?

I am a European at heart. I love small cities like Antwerp, Marseille, or Ljubljana that become richer the more you dig into their details. Places like Milan, Paris, or Berlin are now only enjoyable to me for business trips. The two places I most want to visit are the Faroe Islands and Tokyo. For a seaside vacation, my go-to spots are Mytilene and Gökçeada. I particularly enjoy delving into Gökçeada’s multi-layered cultural structure and reading its stories.

What are your must-haves when packing for this trip? What do you always take with you?

Whether it’s an island or a small European city, I always make sure to bring a book to read. Besides that, I pack some skincare cream, painkillers, and a few extra t-shirts. I don’t overpack. In the past, I would have packed a lot more, but in recent years, I manage with just a backpack; it’s enough.

Do you have any book/music/film recommendations that have affected you recently?

Last weekend, at the Istanbul Comics and Arts Festival, I bought a manga book titled 5 Centimeters per Second that was translated into Turkish. At the author’s request, it starts from the end and goes backwards, which was quite stimulating for my mind. It felt like my brain was working in a different way. As for music, I always listen to it, but what I listen to one day often doesn’t stick the next. Right now, like everyone else, I’m feeling a bit like an Ezhel fan. And for movies, it’s very clear: Joker!

With all the platforms we use these days, such as Netflix, YouTube, audiobooks, podcast apps, which ones are part of your routine? Maybe you’d like to share your favorite channels, podcast series, or your favorite shows and documentaries?

Of course! My favorite platform is Netflix. I absolutely loved the Abstract: The Art of Design documentary, especially the episodes on Olafur Eliasson, Ruth Carter, and Jonathan Hoefler. As for podcasts, I have two favorites: Vedat Ozan’s Koku on Açık Radyo and Benan Kapucu’s Botanitopya.