An Interdsiciplinary Conference on FETISHISM

Fetishism is used in three distinct but, arguably, interconnected ways: commodity fetishism, sexual fetishism and religious fetishism. From voodoo dolls to Catholic sacraments, from latex cat suits to stiletto heels, from shiny i-pods to red Corvettes the fetish is always an object that exceeds both its value and its function as a mere object. The fetish, it seems, is never itself but always a stand-in for something else. This conference aims to explore what this “something else” may be, how the substitution functions and the possible connections between the three kinds of fetishism.

Should I Really Do It? (Ismail Necmi, 2008) will be the conference opening film and will be shown at Istanbul Modern on 27 November at 19.00 with the participation of the director.

Daily Enternce Fee: 50 YTL
Student Entrence Fee: 40 YTL

For the conference programe and abstracts please visit www.independentscholars.org

The conference has two parallel events.

1) Indie-Fetish: Istanbul Modern Cinema is presenting a selection of fetish themed films curated by ./independentscholars between November 7-30. The collection, which mostly consists of experimental and documentary films, brings together a wide and variety of fetish objects from film stock to dolls, from garlic to gap-toothed women, from motorcycles to Japanese revues.

2) The Bitch Is Sleeping: Curated by Derya Demir and Leyla Gediz, The Bitch Is Sleeping, is an exhibition covering all spheres and types of fetishism and takes place at various fetishistic landmarks on İstiklal Caddesi, as well as, Karşı Sanat Gallery and Gallery Splendid from November 19 to December 19.

November 26-28
Germir Palas Hotel

Cumhuriyet Cad. No 7 Taksim