oeuvre vs. abstract space: appropriation of gezi park in istanbul

the gezi park incidents of summer 2013 in istanbul have marked a turning point in the political life and democracy in turkey. the peaceful environmentalist protestations in central gezi park have turned into a countrywide upheaval against the neo-liberal and conservative policies of the government, pouring millions of people into streets in different cities. it was a time that turkey witnessed the formation of a new type of public sphere that encompasses a variety of counter publics, and its spatial incarnation –the gezi commune-, reclaimed, created, shaped and inhabited by the free will of people. this was the instant creation of oeuvre through appropriation of the urban space, and a spatial manifestation of reclaiming the right to the city. this article is a reflection on possibility of creation of oeuvre in contemporary society, and a new way of architectural thinking and practice that can pave the way for it.