Çanakkale Biennial cancelled weeks before opening, citing political interference

The Çanakkale Biennial in Turkey was cancelled on September 5, 2016, less than three weeks before its scheduled opening. Organizers released a statement on their website expressing sadness over political developments that don't prioritize art. The exhibition, which would have featured 42 artists including JR, Alfredo Jaar, Bouchra Khalili, and Boris Mikhailov, was intended to explore migration themes. Beral Madra, the biennial's art director and co-curator since 2012, resigned voluntarily due to what she described as an agenda contradicting the organization's foundations. The statement referenced the political climate following Turkey's failed coup, during which numerous activists, journalists, and intellectuals were detained by the Erdoğan government. The unrealized fifth edition was dedicated to refugees and migrants, specifically mentioning Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed ashore a year earlier. Artists from Turkey, Germany, France, the United States, Switzerland, Palestine, Syria, Bosnia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Chile, Iraq, Canada, Morocco, Sweden, Greece, Denmark, Albania, the Philippines, and Austria were scheduled to participate. The cancellation occurred despite extensive preparations for an exhibition that aimed to address pressing global humanitarian issues through contemporary art.