Istanbul Biennial Postponed as Lead Curator Resigns
A view from the roof of the Çinili Hammam, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Let me share with you a bit of drama that unfolded in the European art world recently. It's about the Istanbul Biennial, a key event in the scene, which hit a major snag last Friday. The lead curator stepped down, and the whole event has been pushed to 2025. It's a big deal, and here's why.
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, which runs the Biennial, faced a real split over their choice of Iwona Blazwick, a British curator, to run the show. This decision stirred up so much controversy that it became "impossible" to kick off as planned this September.
Here's the backstory: Blazwick was on a four-person panel that first recommended Defne Ayas, a Turkish curator, for the job. But, in a twist, the organizers ditched Ayas and, last August, picked Blazwick instead. Why the switch? Well, insiders think Ayas' choice was too politically hot for Turkey. Back in 2015, she curated a pavilion at the Venice Biennale that mentioned the Armenian genocide, a topic Turkey vehemently denies.
Blazwick, with her 20 years at London's Whitechapel Gallery and her experience in Europe and the Middle East, seemed like a safer bet. Plus, she's involved in public art projects in Saudi Arabia. But her appointment didn't sit well with the Turkish art community. The Art Newspaper spilled the beans on how she got selected over Ayas, and Turkish artists started calling out the organizers.
By October, artists who'd been in previous Biennials were demanding a revamp of the whole selection process. They wanted to know, "Who's really calling the shots here?" An online petition even popped up, questioning the ethics and criteria behind the curator selection.
The Foundation responded, promising more transparency in the future, but the damage was done. Four Turkish artists bailed on the event, saying on Instagram that the Biennial wasn't a good place for art anymore.
The Istanbul Biennial, which started in 1987, has been a big deal since the early 2000s. It's like a window into what Turkish artists are thinking, many of whom play it safe to avoid upsetting President Erdogan and his crowd. This year, it was supposed to explore art's role after loss and trauma. Previous themes have tackled stuff like environmental change.
Finally, last Friday, a spokeswoman from the Foundation said they're picking a new curator for 2025, in line with their promise for a clearer selection process. It's a chapter in the art world that's about more than just art; it's about politics, censorship, and the power struggles behind the scenes.
