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The 12th Istanbul Biennial
Untitled (12th Istanbul Biennial), 2011
September 17–November 13, 2011
Professional preview:
September 15–16, 2011
Press conference:
September 15, 2011, 10 a.m.
Organized by:
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
www.iksv.org
The 12th Istanbul Biennial will explore the
relationship between art and politics, focusing on works that are both
formally innovative and politically outspoken. The work of the
Cuban-American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957–1996) is a clear
example of this kind of artistic practice, and a primary inspiration for
the biennial. The title of the biennial, Untitled (12th Istanbul
Biennial), 2011, deliberately references the way in which
Gonzalez-Torres named most of his works: "Untitled"
followed by a description in parentheses.
The 12th Istanbul Biennial will include five group shows and approximately
45 solo presentations. Each of the group shows will feature a large
number of artists' works brought together under a particular theme. The
theme titles—"Untitled" (Passport), "Untitled"
(Ross), "Untitled" (Death by Gun), Untitled (Abstraction),
and Untitled (History)—refer to works by Gonzalez-Torres.
The group shows will have the character of intimate cabinet exhibitions,
each occupying a distinct space, and together they will function as
thematic anchors for the biennial as a whole. Around them will be the
solo presentations. Each solo presentation will be linked to the subjects
of the group shows but will push the themes decidedly further, exploring
the broader issues the group exhibitions have introduced.
In response to those today who devalue the exhibition as the primary
format of artistic and curatorial expression, favoring instead ancillary
events and programming (especially in a biennial context), the organizers
of the 12th Istanbul Biennial advocate for renewed attention to the importance
of the exhibition itself. The biennial will be precisely selected and
installed in a single, carefully constructed space, privileging above all
else the display and juxtaposition of the artworks. Special attention is
being given to the exhibition's architecture, designed by Ryue Nishizawa of Sejima and Nishizawa and
Associates (SANAA), Tokyo, with graphic design developed in collaboration
with Jon Sueda of Stripe, San Francisco.
Outside of the dates of the biennial, a range of events are planned to enhance
its reach and scope. The first is a unique collaboration with the
Istanbul Film Festival in April 2011. Untitled (Film) is a
cinematic preview of Untitled (12th Istanbul Biennial), 2011. It
will feature 10 films that relate aesthetically and politically to the
subjects under examination in the biennial. It is inspired by a desire to
widen the format of the biennial beyond its usual focus on the visual
arts into a larger cultural manifestation that encompasses other artistic
fields (specifically those represented by the Istanbul Foundation for
Culture and Arts).
Furthermore, recognizing that a comprehensive retrospective of Felix
Gonzalez-Torres's work has never yet been mounted in Istanbul, the
biennial's organizers will present a one-day seminar on his work titled Untitled
(FGT). It will take place in Istanbul in summer 2011 and will
involve a number of curators, writers, and artists who are close to the
work and ideas of Gonzalez-Torres. (Gonzalez-Torres's work was included
in the 5th Istanbul Biennial in 1997.)
An ambitious education program will be realized over the course of
the biennial, which will involve bringing a large number of the
participating artists to Istanbul to conduct workshops, talks, and
tutorials with young artists based in Turkey.
The publication program of the biennial encompasses three volumes:
a book documenting the November 2010 conference Remembering Istanbul,
which looked back at the history of the Istanbul Biennial; a short guide
with full-color photographs and interviews with the artists; and a
catalog that will feature six new essays on the topics of the exhibition
as well as installation images of the biennial.
Istanbul Biennial
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
Sadi Konuralp Caddesi No:5
Şişhane 34433 İstanbul
T: +90 212 334 07 64
F: +90 212 334 07 05
E: ist.biennial@iksv.org
www.iksv.org/bienal
Media Relations
Ms. Elif Obdan
T: + 90 212 334 07 13
F: + 90 212 334 07 16
E: elif.obdan@iksv.org
Accreditations
accreditations@iksv.org
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