The film documents the results of one week of fieldwork by designLAB students in the oldest light district of Istanbul. Insights from the ongoing research 'Made in Sishane', by Asli Kyak and Teike Asselberg, formed the startingpoint of our brief: to explore the qualities of the Sishane network in order to understand if and how it can transform itself, in the light of current political and economical threats.

All students connected their findings back to the system on the last day. Some say that the intimate working place at Galata Perform perhaps influenced the project in a theatrical way... I think the district itself is one beautiful & complex back drop of narratives.

'Shine on Sishane' is the first of a series of research projects in cities this year by designLAB, which is the design research laboratory which I run at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. For other archived projects, visit rietveldacademie.nl/designlab