RURAL FUTURES | FUTURE RURALS SYMPOSIUM ISTANBUL 2026-OCT-15-16
The rural is increasingly being recognized as a ‘new common ground for humans and all more-than-human living and non-living entities’. And it is now highlighted as a ‘new’ space for living, alongside the city, which has served as the primary habitat for the past two centuries. Such a perspective, by its very nature, requires that rural geographies, much like urban ones, be approached through their own spatial, ecological, cultural, and temporal conditions, and be considered as a living environment encompassing various scales, temporalities, and visible as well as invisible dynamics, while embracing the coexistence of all living and non-living entities. By examining the rural from within its own context and challenging conventional perspectives that position the countryside in relation to the city, it becomes essential to rethink the rural futures by developing new perspectives, opening new lines of inquiry, and generating alternative models and projects.
This international and interdisciplinary symposium Rural Futures | Future Rurals aims to bring together ongoing studies on rural territories, alternative forms of living, and design research. Beginning with the question ‘what are we looking for?’, the symposium invites critical and creative perspectives on ‘the future of the rural’ and ‘the rural of the future’. The symposium will be held at the Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture (IMPS) on October 15-16, 2026, in collaboration with Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Faculty of Architecture, and Architectural Research European Network Association (ARENA) Alter-Rurality Project.
The symposium forms part of the same public programme as the ‘Rural and Future’ exhibition and has been conceived in dialogue with it. The exhibition is a post-production of works developed by the architectural design studio ‘Rural & Future: Voices from the Countryside | Alternative Life and Architectures’ over eight semesters of travelling across Anatolia, Türkiye, between 2020 and 2024.
Panelists / Speakers
Álvaro Mercado Jara, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, School of Architecture and Design, Chile
Anne Tietjen, University of Copenhagen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Denmark
Aslıhan Demirtaş, KHORA, Türkiye & United States of America
Ayşe Şentürer, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture, Türkiye
Ben Stringer, University of Westminster, School of Architecture and Cities, United Kingdom
Esther Peeren, University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Humanities, Netherlands
Fabian Lévêque & Ewa Chuecos, Researcher, France / Researcher, France
Fernando García-Dory & Sergio Bravo Josephson, Artist & Researcher, Spain / Artist & Researcher, Sweden
Hélène Frichot, The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, Australia
John Lin, The University of Hong Kong, Department of Architecture, China
Jonathan Mosley, UWE Bristol, School of Architecture and Environment, United Kingdom
Mark Smout & Laura Allen, UCL, Bartlett School of Architecture, United Kingdom
Meltem Erdem Kaya, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Landscape Architecture, Türkiye
Michael Woods, Aberystwyth University, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Wales, United Kingdom
Mo Michelsen Stochholm Krag, Aarhus School of Architecture, Denmark
Paola Viganò, EPFL & Università IUAV di Venezia & StudioPaolaViganò, Switzerland & Italy
Samir Bantal, AMO & OMA, Netherlands
Sevgi Görmüş Cengiz, Inönü University, Department of Landscape Architecture, Türkiye
Tatjana Schneider, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Department of Architecture, Germany
Víctor Muñoz Sanz, TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment, Netherlands
Advisory Committee
Anđelka Bnin-Bninski, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, Serbia
Ayşe Şentürer, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture, Türkiye
Chris Younès, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris La Villette & École Spéciale d’Architecture, France
Lea Holst Laursen, Aalborg University, Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Denmark
Merve Bedir, iSKELE, Netherlands
Nadia Casabella, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Architecture (La Cambre-Horta), Belgium
Pieter Versteegh, Researcher, Switzerland
Sophia Meeres, University College Dublin, School of Architecture, Ireland
Zafer Yenal, Sabancı University, Istanbul Policy Center, Türkiye
Organizing Committee
Ayşe Şentürer, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture, Türkiye
Betül Uyan Şentürk, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture, Türkiye
Erenalp Büyüktopcu, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture, Türkiye
Ezgi Beyen, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Landscape Architecture, Türkiye
Yeşim Armağan, Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture, Türkiye
Contact
ruralfuture@itu.edu.tr
https://www.instagram.com/ruralfuture/
