Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Arts and Culture (IKSV), and under the sponsorship of Koç Holding, the 16th Istanbul Biennale opened its doors to the public in September. Titled “The Seventh Contient, the Biennale is curated by scholar and writer, Nicolas Bourraiud, who is a major figure in the art world. The event hosts pieces addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time, ecology, from different angles. The Biennale itself opens up the relationship between art and ecology for discussion, showcasing contemporary works of art that look at natural and cultural waste caused by humanity through the mediums of anthropology and archaeology. The Biennale features over 220 works of art by 56 artists from 25 countries – 8 of whom are Turkish. Awaiting visitors in Istanbul are 36 new pieces created for the biennale by artists working in different genes.
Prominent thinkers, scientists, and artists who have approached the relationship between art, ecology, and anthropology from various vantage points invite Biennale spectators to think through a whole host of exhibitions and free events. Throughout, everyday objects and issue that we take for granted are up for discussion, while new collaborations that might arise from the coming together of these approaches are also explored. Mr. Bourriaud spoke about the theme “The Seventh Continent” and what the event has in store for visitors: “The image of “The Seventh Continent,” which prevails throughout the 16th Istanbul Biennale and inspired the name, refers to the huge dump in the middle of Pacific Ocean which is among the most visible consequences of the anthropogenic age of global warming. Called “The Seventh Continent” in popular science, this mass consists of a dump of plastic located on an area of 3.4 square kilometers and weighing 7 million tons. This continent is the product of an area located within the boundaries of science and political action. This image is all too familiar to all of us: The image of fish and marine species swimming along the invisible ocean lines caused by industrial waste with plastic bags and cotton buds. However, the 16th Istanbul Biennale aims to take the issue of this so-called “continent” seriously and evaluate this unstable area, in which humans and other creatures coexist due to reasons beyond their control and as an unexplored area for now. This is the negative face of the “new world,” which was once what European settlers prayed for. It’s not a continent that can be invaded or occupied forcefully. On the contrary, it is almost a nation aroused as the result of our life and production style and founded as a work by us. The seventh continent, which is the reflection of our societies, a country consisting of things we got rid of and didn’t want to be a part of our lives. To be able to embrace the Seventh Continent, we need the antennas of artists, their entrepreneurship, and anthropological skills. I hope that no matter how familiar they are with the pieces presented in the exhibition they see every artist as someone who brings news from a faraway society. My advice to visitors is to just surrender yourself to the tribes of the exhibition artists, to the communities that will embrace you and to the notions and objects reflected and made up of them. Thus, you will become the anthropologists of this new world.”
Biennale Venues
In addition to Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University’s new branch of the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum in Tophane, the 16th annual Biennale also welcome visitors at Pera Museum and Büyükada. The Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum was founded in 1937 to protect, develop, and share prominent pieces of modern Turkish art with the public. Construction has been on going for eight years to transform the entrepot building (Antrepo No. 5), which hosted the 9th and 12th Istanbul Biennales in 2005 and 2011. In the aftermath of the preparation process, which accelerated with the appointment of Vasıf Kortun as the guidance counsellor a short time ago, the museum is preparing to open its doors in the spring of 2020 in its new building, the design of which was created Emre Arolat. Standing as the main venue of the Biennale, the museum hosts pieces by 37 artists and artist collectives inspired by real-life stories or fiction and embracing the anthropogenic era through various perspectives. Serving as one of the venues for Istanbul Biennale since 2015, Pera Museum hosts the event this year as well. In addition to the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation’s Orientalist Painting Collection, the museum also has the collections Anatolian Weights and Measures alongside Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics. At the same time, it hosts temporary exhibitions in addition to leading artists and collections. Realized in cooperation with Pera Learning, Istanbul Biennale’s learning program as well as the film program prepared by Pera Film within the context of Biennale is being presented to visitors throughout the exhibition. Visitors to the Biennale at Pera Museum have the chance to explore imaginary civilizations otherwise not found in history books. Brining various cultures together throughout history, Büyükada is also one of the spots for the 16th Istanbul Biennial, offering unexpected discoveries for visitors. While the pieces on Büyükada slow down the spectator’s haste for visiting the exhibition by enriching the biennial experience in terms of venue and time, it also acts as a parenthesis, far from the city. Located on the island, the Hacopulo Pavilion will host Monster Chetwynd; Taş Mektep will host works by Hale Tenger; Mizzi Pavilion will host those of Green Ligion; Anatolian Club will host Armin Linke with Ursula Mayer; and the island’s coast will host works of art by Andrea Zittel.
The 16th Istanbul Biennale and all of its venues are open to the public, free of admission, every day except Mondays, from 10:00 to 18:00, until November 10.
