7th Istanbul Biennial Explores 'Egofugal' Theme

The 7th International Istanbul Biennial, held from September 22 to November 17, 2001, across venues including Hagia Irene, the Basilica Cistern, and Beylerbeyi Palace, was curated by Japanese artistic director Yuko Hasegawa. The biennial adopted the theme 'EGOFUGAL – Fugue from Ego for the Next Emergence,' a concept Hasegawa coined to address the tension between self-liberation and self-esteem. The exhibition featured 61 artists and collectives, including Rirkrit Tiravanija, Gabriel Orozco, Chris Cunningham, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Lygia Clark, Chris Burden, On Kawara, James Turrell, Cambalache Collective, Stan Douglas, Carsten Nicolai, Francis Alÿs, Hussein Chalayan, Ömer Ali Kazma, and Motohiko Odani. Critic Paul Ardenne noted that many works were already familiar from international circuits, questioning the novelty of the 'egofugal' label. He praised the venue choices for their magnificence, which lent the biennial an enchanting atmosphere.