Istanbul Biennial's 16th Edition Confronts Anthropocene with 'The Seventh Continent'
The 16th Istanbul Biennial, named 'The Seventh Continent' and overseen by curator Nicolas Bourriaud, took place from September 14 to November 10. This event tackled the issue of human-created waste, likening it to a continent that is five times the size of Turkey. Key locations for the exhibition included the Painting and Sculpture Museum of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, the Pera Museum, and Büyükada, while the original site, Istanbul Shipyard, was deemed unusable due to contamination. Highlights featured Jonathas de Andrade's video 'The Fish' (2016), Anna Bella Geiger's installation 'Circa' (2006), and drawings by Ernst Haeckel. Glenn Ligon's installation on James Baldwin incorporated Sedat Pakay's film, and Monster Chetwynd showcased work in a former residence of Leon Trotsky, leading to some criticism regarding the museum's design.
Key facts
- The 16th Istanbul Biennial was curated by Nicolas Bourriaud.
- It was titled 'The Seventh Continent' and ran from September 14 to November 10.
- The theme addressed human waste and the Anthropocene.
- Key venues included the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Museum, Pera Museum, and Büyükada island.
- The original Istanbul Shipyard venue was scrapped due to toxic elements.
- Artists featured included Jonathas de Andrade, Anna Bella Geiger, and Glenn Ligon.
- The new main museum venue was criticized for its layout of small rooms.
- The biennial aimed to connect with local history and use unconventional spaces.
Entities
Artists
- Nicolas Bourriaud
- Jonathas de Andrade
- Anna Bella Geiger
- Ernst Haeckel
- Norman Daly
- Glauco Rodrigues
- James Baldwin
- Glenn Ligon
- Sedat Pakay
- Monster Chetwynd
- Leon Trotsky
- Trotsky
- Dora Budor
- Pierre Huyghe
- Agnieszka Kurant
- Gustav Metzger
- Eva Koťátková
- Jonathas De Andrade
- Suzanne Husky
- Starhawk
- Deniz Aktaş
- Suzanne Treister
- Korakrit Arunanondchai
- Hale Tenger
- Charles Avery
- Paul Sietsema
- Piotr Uklański
- Jonas Mekas
- J.M.W. Turner
- Caspar David Friedrich
- Ambera Wellmann
- Andrea Zittel
- Anzo (José Iranzo Almonacid)
- Armin Linke
- Claudia Martínez Garay
- David Douard
- Elmas Deniz
- Eloise Hawser
- En Man Chang
- Eva Kot'átková
- Evru/Zush
- Güneş Terkol
- Güçlü Öztekin
- Haegue Yang
- Jared Madere
- Jennifer Tee
- Johannes Büttner
- Marguerite Humeau
- Mariechen Danz
- Luigi Serafini
- Max Hooper Schneider
- Melvin Moti
- Mika Rottenberg
- Müge Yılmaz
- Ozan Atalan
- Özlem Altın
- Ugnius Gelguda
- Neringa Černiauskaitė
- Phillip Zach
- Pia Arke
- Radcliffe Bailey
- Rashid Johnson
- Rebecca Belmore
- Sanam Khatibi
- Simon Fujiwara
- Simon Starling
- Tala Madani
- Thiago Rocha Pitta
- Turiya Magadlela
- Ursula Mayer
- Ylva Snöfrid
- Yuji Agematsu
Institutions
- 16th Istanbul Biennial
- Bienal de São Paulo
- Museu de Pintura e Escultura da Universidade de Belas Artes Mimar Sinan
- Pera Museum
- Estaleiro de Istambul
- Istanbul Biennial
- Museum of Painting and Sculpture of the University of Fine Arts Mimar Sinan
- 32nd Bienal de São Paulo
- Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture
- Feral Atlas Collective
- Cornell University
- Arter
- ArtReview
- Pakui Hardware
Locations
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Büyükada
- Buyukada
- Egypt
- Pacific
- Amazon
- Büyükada Island
- Sea of Marmara
- Germany
- Lithuania