Istanbul Biennial Ends Early After Curator Christine Tohmé Resigns

The 18th Istanbul Biennial has concluded prematurely following the departure of curator Christine Tohmé, who resigned citing personal reasons according to the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV). Originally planned as a three-part series from 2025 to 2027 under the title 'The Three-Legged Cat,' the event aimed to address themes of healing and resistance through an extended format responsive to sociopolitical and environmental shifts. Its first phase, held across eight venues in Istanbul, attracted over 600,000 visitors before wrapping in November. Tohmé's appointment in 2024 came after a contentious leadership change that delayed the biennial by a year; initially, Defne Ayas was selected by the advisory board in early 2023, but the İKSV reversed this decision, reportedly due to Ayas's 2015 curation of Turkey's Venice Biennale pavilion focusing on the Armenian Genocide, which Turkey denies. Iwona Blazwick was then chosen but resigned amid art community backlash. The İKSV has now announced that preparations for the 19th Istanbul Biennial in 2027 will commence soon, with a curator to be named this year.