What happened
Barceló Hotel Group has collaborated with Devridaim Enstitüsü on an artwork made from hotel sheets, towels and pillowcases that had reached the end of their original use. The textiles were gathered from Barceló properties in Cappadocia, Istanbul and Ankara, then treated through natural dyeing, botanical printing, hand sewing and embroidery.
Plants collected in Cappadocia supplied dye materials. Tea and coffee grounds generated by the kitchen at Barceló Cappadocia were also incorporated into the colouring process. The resulting work is scheduled for the 21st Contemporary Istanbul, at Tersane Istanbul, from 23 to 27 September 2026.
The artwork uses visual references to environmental change. Sparse plant impressions denote declining vegetation, crack-like marks refer to drought, and a sun form is intended to evoke intensifying temperatures. Those attending the fair can view the completed piece during the five-day event.
Why it matters
Hotel linen is a frequently renewed operational material stream. This collaboration treats textiles that can no longer serve guests as material with potential for a different purpose, rather than solely as a disposal issue.
The initiative is an artistic reuse project, not a stated system-wide solution for hospitality textiles. Its relevance lies in combining retired linen with organic residues from hotel operations and craft-based processes, creating another route for materials after their first application has ended.
For hospitality sustainability teams, the project puts textile flows alongside more established operational subjects such as energy, water, disposable products and food waste. It also demonstrates a locally rooted approach: materials from hotels in three cities are combined with Cappadocian plants and manual techniques.
Background
Barceló describes the collaboration as an application in Türkiye of its ReGen sustainability approach. Devridaim Enstitüsü led the transformation process, retaining the textiles as the starting material while giving them a new artistic function.
The work brings together circular-material thinking, local production knowledge, handcraft and contemporary art. Its exhibition setting places a hospitality material stream before a public audience while linking the physical reuse of the textiles to climate-related imagery.
What to watch
The next public milestone is the Contemporary Istanbul presentation at Tersane Istanbul. The exhibition runs from 23 to 27 September 2026.
