13th Istanbul Biennial Retreats to Institutions Amid Gezi Protests
The 13th Istanbul Biennial, which took place in September 2013 and was curated by Fulya Erdemci under the title 'Mom, Am I Barbarian?', coincided with the Occupy Gezi Park protests. Initially centered on urban spaces, the curator decided to shift most of the exhibits to venues such as ARTER and Salt Beyoğlu due to the aggressive police reaction, believing that this absence from public areas made a more potent political statement. The event showcased both historical works from the 1970s and contemporary art by figures like Hito Steyerl and Diego Bianchi. Critics pointed out the biennial's lack of engagement with the Gezi protests and issues like gentrification and corporate sponsorship, suggesting that the withdrawal aligned too closely with the state's oppressive tactics.
Key facts
- 13th Istanbul Biennial curated by Fulya Erdemci titled 'Mom, Am I Barbarian?'
- Biennial originally planned to use vacant buildings and public installations
- Occupy Gezi Park protests began in late May 2013, met with police violence
- Erdemci withdrew from public space, moved works to institutions like ARTER, Salt Beyoğlu, 5533, Antrepo no.3, Greek Primary School
- Works included Hito Steyerl's 'Is a Museum a Battlefield?', Diego Bianchi's 'Market or Die', Maider López's 'Ataskoa', Maxime Hourani's residency, Serkan Taycan's 'Between Two Seas', Christoph Schäfer's drawings
- Historical works from 1970s by Gordon Matta-Clark, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Akademia Ruchu, Jirí Kovanda, Nil Yalter, Judy Blum Reddy
- Ethem Sarısülük killed by police in Ankara on 1 June; Ahmet Atakan died on 10 September
- Biennial criticized for failing to address Gezi politics, gentrification, corporate sponsorship, and activism-art relationship
Entities
Artists
- Fulya Erdemci
- Lale Müldür
- Erdem Gündüz
- Diego Bianchi
- Maider López
- Maxime Hourani
- Serkan Taycan
- Hito Steyerl
- Gordon Matta-Clark
- Mierle Laderman Ukeles
- Akademia Ruchu
- Jirí Kovanda
- Nil Yalter
- Judy Blum Reddy
- Ayşe Erkmen
- Christoph Schäfer
- Edi Hirose
- Hans Haacke
- David Joselit
- Judith Butler
- Chantal Mouffe
- Jacques Rancière
- Michel Foucault
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Ethem Sarısülük
- Ahmet Atakan
- Bige Örer
- Vermeir & Heiremans
Institutions
- Istanbul Biennial
- Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
- ARTER
- Salt Beyoğlu
- 5533
- Antrepo no.3
- Greek Primary School
- Koç Holding
- Siemens
- Rietveld Landscape
- Kunst-Werke
- Fridericianum
- Centre Georges Pompidou
- Park Fiction
- CNN Türk
- BBC
- Hurriyet Daily News
- Haaretz
- Al-Monitor
- The Guardian
- October
- Art Monthly
- Red Thread
- Historical Materialism
- Afterall
- TANAS
Locations
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Gezi Park
- Taksim Square
- Tophane
- Galata
- Beyoğlu
- Istiklal Avenue
- Golden Horn
- Kadıköy
- Ankara
- Izmir
- Hamburg
- Paris
- Basque Country
- Lima
- Peru
- Black Sea
- Marmara
- Bosphorus
- Beauborg
- Berlin
- Germany
- Brussels