"Not Only Possible, But Also Necessary: Optimism in the age of global war"
Curator: Hou Hanru
September 8 - November 4, 2007
"The 10th İstanbul Biennial will not be a thematic exhibition in the traditional manner; rather, it will emphasise artistic production based on collective intelligence and the living process of negotiating with physical sites. The biennial will focus on urban issues and architectural reality as a means of exposing different cultural contexts and artistic visions regarding the complex and diverse forms of modernity. The current mutation of the global art scene reflects the restructuring of the world order prompted by the inventions and realisations of different modernities and modernisation projects beyond the traditional hegemonic vision of the West. This tendency is naturally the focus of the upcoming İstanbul Biennial when it attains its 10th edition. The unique context of Turkey as one of the earliest non-Western modern republics and its geopolitical position as a gateway between Europe and Asia provide a perfect location and momentum for artistic and cultural explorations of such an issue. It represents aspiration and optimism – it’s a kind of realisable utopia. We are living in an age of globalisation. The impacts of globalisation on different parts of the world are complex and contradictory. They not only create economic, cultural and social progress but also spread conflicts and wars all over. Facing such a reality, better visions of our life and society driven by the dynamism of modernisation and certain utopian idealism are urgently needed. Such endeavours are not only possible. They are also necessary. And contemporary art, if it can still make sense in our turbulently mutating world, must engage itself in such a struggle."
Retrieved from the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts website.
For the artist list, special projects and venues' roles within the biennial visit the link.
