The Istanbul Biennial continues to be a meeting point of the contemporary art scene with its 17th edition. Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), the biennial started on September 17 and will continue welcoming Istanbul’s art lovers with open arms until November 20.
The 17th Istanbul Biennial includes nearly 500 artists, writers, poets, performers and many others from all around the world. It delivers a wide range of exhibitions throughout Istanbul’s neighborhoods and other regions of Turkey. From Mimar Sinan’s Cinili Hamam to Barın Han, the exhibitions can be visited free of charge.
This year, the biennial vividly chooses a different path to discover the wonders of the city and deliberately seeks to articulate a concern for environment.
Several days ago, the biennial featured Turkey’s first ever buffalo festival that traces the effects of environmental issues. “Wallowland,” the event provided a much-needed platform to promote a dialogue on climate crisis.
Bige Örer, the director of the biennial, elaborates:
“The main objective was how to raise more awareness about the transformation of these lands. We have organized the first buffalo festival on the September 17, and we hope to continue this festival in the upcoming years”.
Örer alludes to a subtle logic behind the absence of a main biennial theme this year. According to Örer, the curators did not want to come up with a single title. “They decided to focus on the existence of Istanbul” she said.
The biennial is currently underway. Watch the full interview below to learn more.
