Political Istanbul biennial for 2009
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Kasım 20, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - The conceptual framework for the 11th International Istanbul Biennial was announced by the Croatian Biennial Curators at a press conference in Istanbul on Monday-"what keeps man alive?" is the key concept behind the performances that will be presented in the exhibition.
It has been announced that the conceptual framework of the 2009 International Istanbul Biennial will have a political theme, covering everything from global poverty to gender inequality.
The Croatian Biennial Curators WHW (What, How and for whom) announced the title of the Biennial "what keeps mankind alive?" by dancing on chairs in what was possibly the most absurd biennial press conference that has ever been held in Istanbul. " We wanted to break conventions and entertain you, giving you an insight into what is to come," said the curators.
"What keeps mankind alive" is the title of a song from Bertolt Brecht’s " The Threepenny Opera," a play that set out to revolutionize theater as both an artistic form and a tool for social and political change.
According to the WHW curators, the question posed by Brecht in 1928 is much more urgent and topical today, where society is consumed by the fears of global changes and the lasting effects of the economic crisis.
"The question 'what keeps mankind alive?' will serve as a trigger, as well as a certain script for the exhibition, allowing us and the artists to pose questions of economic and social urgency today," said curator Ana Devic, adding that whilst questions will be asked, they will not be answered. The audience will merely be invited to think and engage with topics presented at the exhibition.
The curators found the grandiose title fitting for the event as it arouses thought on relevant themes such as distribution of wealth and poverty, food and hunger, political manipulations, gender oppression and religious hypocrisy, which all come together in a complexity of dynamics between the local, national and international.
The aim of the curators is to " trigger an avalanche of hopefully useful contradictions and unexpected constellations" through the Biennial form which is a highly representative art manifestation.
They have taken Brecht as a starting point for the Biennial concept in an attempt to invite the audience to think about the role of artistic endeavor in the conditions of contemporary capitalism and allow them to reevaluate everyday practices and value systems.
Today, in Biennial exhibitions, art is usually presented as fun and pleasurable. Brecht was critical of art solely as a means of entertainment; he was more concerned with making his plays didactic instead of entertaining, and would ask his audience to "stop that romantic staring" and think about the meaning of the contradictions that were presented on stage.
The WHW curators will be adopting certain Brechtian didactic techniques in the Biennial with the hope of creating a certain political aesthetic puzzle that will stimulate the audience to think about the problems of the present, however, the curators have said that it will be an entertaining didactic experience.
The 11th international İstanbul Biennnial, organized by İKSV and sponsored by Koç Holding will take place between Sept. 12- Nov. 8, 2009.
The Croatian Biennial Curators WHW (What, How and for whom) announced the title of the Biennial "what keeps mankind alive?" by dancing on chairs in what was possibly the most absurd biennial press conference that has ever been held in Istanbul. " We wanted to break conventions and entertain you, giving you an insight into what is to come," said the curators.
"What keeps mankind alive" is the title of a song from Bertolt Brecht’s " The Threepenny Opera," a play that set out to revolutionize theater as both an artistic form and a tool for social and political change.
According to the WHW curators, the question posed by Brecht in 1928 is much more urgent and topical today, where society is consumed by the fears of global changes and the lasting effects of the economic crisis.
"The question 'what keeps mankind alive?' will serve as a trigger, as well as a certain script for the exhibition, allowing us and the artists to pose questions of economic and social urgency today," said curator Ana Devic, adding that whilst questions will be asked, they will not be answered. The audience will merely be invited to think and engage with topics presented at the exhibition.
The curators found the grandiose title fitting for the event as it arouses thought on relevant themes such as distribution of wealth and poverty, food and hunger, political manipulations, gender oppression and religious hypocrisy, which all come together in a complexity of dynamics between the local, national and international.
The aim of the curators is to " trigger an avalanche of hopefully useful contradictions and unexpected constellations" through the Biennial form which is a highly representative art manifestation.
They have taken Brecht as a starting point for the Biennial concept in an attempt to invite the audience to think about the role of artistic endeavor in the conditions of contemporary capitalism and allow them to reevaluate everyday practices and value systems.
Today, in Biennial exhibitions, art is usually presented as fun and pleasurable. Brecht was critical of art solely as a means of entertainment; he was more concerned with making his plays didactic instead of entertaining, and would ask his audience to "stop that romantic staring" and think about the meaning of the contradictions that were presented on stage.
The WHW curators will be adopting certain Brechtian didactic techniques in the Biennial with the hope of creating a certain political aesthetic puzzle that will stimulate the audience to think about the problems of the present, however, the curators have said that it will be an entertaining didactic experience.
The 11th international İstanbul Biennnial, organized by İKSV and sponsored by Koç Holding will take place between Sept. 12- Nov. 8, 2009.