The 13th Istanbul Biennial will open on Saturday September 14th and entrance will be free. The organizers had planned to use open urban spaces, but following the anti-government demonstrations in the Taksim Square-Gezi Park area they decided to hold the exhibitions at interior venues.
“I believe that by withdrawing from urban public spaces, thus marking the presence through the absence, we can contribute to the space of freedom, to the creative and participatory demonstrations and forums, instigated by the Gezi resistance,” said curator Fulya Erdemci.
“Mom, am I a barbarian?” is the title of the Biennial, which will run until October 20th. The exhibitions will deal with the relationship between poetry, literature and art. The word “barbarian“ means in this case that we still need to learn about little-known languages in order to understand “the other” and help build the world to come.
The venues chosen are: Antrepo no.3 in Tophane, Galata Greek Primary School in Karaköy, ARTER and SALT Beyoğlu on İstiklal Street, and 5533 in İMÇ 5th Block. They will be closed Mondays, except September 16th. Visiting hours are between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 pm.
