Abstract
Since their inauguration in 1987, Istanbul Biennials have become sites, where exhibitions were dispersed across several locations, locally embedded through site-specific commissions, and often involved discursive components such as symposia, public programming, and publications. Although ambitious in its global connections, İstanbul Biennials became essential platforms for local artists and artists from the neighboring countries, especially when women’s contribution is considered. Focusing on the contribution of women artists from Turkey, this presentation illustrates how Istanbul Biennials became a crucial showcase for women artists, in the absence of a modern or contemporary art museum, and how it filled a massive gap in tackling the issues of the contemporary art world, while serving as an international exchange point. With exhibition texts, photographs, floor plans, and other ephemera, this paper lays out the importance of such a platform for the careers of emerging and mid-career women artists from the region.
Presenters
Pinar Uner YilmazAdjunct, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Istanbul Biennials, Women Artists, Intersectionality, Exhibition Making, Inclusion, Global Art
