PRESS RELEASE
4TH INTERNATIONAL ÇANAKKALE BIENNIAL
‘ONLY THE DEAD HAVE SEEN THE END OF WAR’ (PLATO)
27 September-2 November 2014
ARTISTS:
Gülçin Aksoy (Istanbul), Maja Bajevic (Paris–Sarajevo), Nigol Bezjian (Beirut), Bashir Borlakov (Istanbul), Songül Boyraz (Vienna), Harold De Bree (The Hague), Klaus vom Bruch (Berlin–Munich), Ergin Çavuşoglu (London–Istanbul), Ersan Deveci (Izmir), Nezaket Ekici (Berlin–Istanbul), Reha Erdem (Istanbul), (Ayşe Erkmen (Berlin–Istanbul), Aladdin Garunov (Moscow), Douglas Gordon (London), Murat Gök (T. Melih Görgün (Istanbul), Güven İncirlioglu (Izmir), IRWIN (Ljubljana), Khaled Jarrar (Ramallah), Grigor Khachatryan (Yerevan), (Anne Kodura (Berlin), Sıtkı Kösemen (Istanbul), Raziye Kubat (Istanbul), Radenko Milak (Belgrade), Jehane Noujaim (Boston), Pınar Örenci (Istanbul), Ahmet Öktem (Istanbul), Marilena Preda Sanc (Bucharest), Antonio Riello (Milan–London–Asiago), Anri Sala (Paris), Hans Schabus (Vienna), Tunca Subaşı (Istanbul), Erdal Sezer (Canakkale), Panos Tsagaris (New York-Athens), Astrid Walsh (Dublin), Viron Vert (Berlin–Istanbul), Akram Zaatari (Beirut)
CURATORIAL TEAM:
Beral Madra (General Art Director), Seyhan Boztepe (General Director), Deniz Erba (CABININ Executive Director)
4th International Çanakkale Biennial has its conceptual framework structured upon ‘1914-1918-The Centenary of World War I’
is to be held on 27 September-November 2014
and welcomes 37 artists
from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Lebanon, Palestine, Armenia, USA, Italy, Greece, Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Austria and Turkey to its main exhibition.
In the meanwhile, as the wars and slaughters occurring in a broad area stretching from Palestine, Iraq and Syria to Somali and Central Africa, we should also express our feelings of grief and sorrow for realizing once more the solid truth in the topic of our biennial today as recited by Plato 2500 years ago.
International Çanakkale Biennial, since its foundation in 2006, has been aiming various purposes: Firstly, to establish an international center, and hence, to transform the city of Çanakkale into a meeting point for production, observation and presentation of creations of contemporary art where Mediterranean, European and Middle-Eastern cultures intersect; secondly, by inviting numerous artists and experts, to locate the city into the international network of communications, arts and culture of global biennial community; and lastly, to provide an open platform for professionals, artists and institutions to exchange their practices and and share expertise in collaboration.
The arguments, interpretations and critics so far elaborated in considering the 100th year of 1st World War construct a favorably comprehensive conceptual framework for the International Çanakkale Biennial. In the centenary of 2014, numerous projects and events are being held in those countries, which have participated in or effected by the war. International Çanakkale Biennial anticipates a broad and an effective participation in cultural and artistic topics of global communication. Perceiving artistic and cultural creations as the most effective means of reflection and criticism since the beginning of 20th century, International Çanakkale Biennial this year, aims at revaluating, elaborating and elucidating the ongoing political, social and cultural events and the impacts of war thereupon since 1914.
Recognizing the fact that the city of Çanakkale, with its historical, cultural and natural context considerably effected by 1st World War and its outcomes, having played a considerable role at the turn of our century, the relevant countries through their diplomatic representatives and cultural centers have not spared the due consideration to the biennial.
The 4th International Çanakkale Biennial provides an open communication and a collaboration platform for the international community and enables a comprehensive revaluation of the impacts of 1st World War and the 20th century at local, national and international levels on today’s political configuration and the historical geography of the Ottoman Empire as well.
The biennial has invited those artists and experts who are mostly prominent with their specific works of art interpreting the consequences of war and peace cycles and the following political, economical, social and cultural consequences in Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasia and in the Middle-East. The sensitivity, anticipation and subtlety within their works are not only focused on the conditions in their own countries, but also on the effects on other countries and societies as well; thus, all together, they accomplish an accurate body of a common visual memory and a valuable accumulation of images. We believe the presentation of those works shall create a substantial and a stimulating effect on the intellectual capacity of the younger generations.
As for the facilities, the three floors of Dota building in city center shall serve as the main location for the 4th International Çanakkale Biennial. As previously, the
Biennial shall use the special buildings and venues of historical importance like Korfmann Library, old Armenian Church, Mahal Art Center and the storehouses in the vicinity.
Along with paintings, photographs and video works of the artists, which have previously taken place in international exhibitions, their recent works specific to Çanakkale Biennial will also be presented.
Çanakkale Biennial is financially sponsored by the Municipality of Çanakkale and supported by the ongoing activities of related platforms such as Childrens Biennial, Biennial Young, “Disability-Accessibility-Inclusion” Program, and the women’s initiative “We are @ Biennial”. All these teams will not only be supporting the main exhibition of the Biennial, but also act as a mediator to communicate the messages to the public through various outdoor activities.
In the last week of the Biennial, A SOUL FOR EUROPE (www.asoulforeurope.eu), founded in 2004 in Berlin, having previously organized forums in Turkey, will coordinate an international forum with the participation of prominent politicians and experts from Turkey and EU countries in October 25-27, 2014.
The Biennial will also host a special project. Curated by A.S. Bruckstein Çoruh / Taswir projects, “Shadow, Speak You Too [hester panim]” is an installation by Eva Beierheimer & Miriam Laussegger, and includes a series of graphic prints by Joseph Semah, “Placenta & Infinity” (1995).
BIENNIAL TEAM
General Art Director: Beral Madra
General Director: Seyhan Boztepe CABININ Executive Director: Deniz Erbaş
Consultant: Ismail Erten
Catalogue Editors: Marko Stamenkovic, Çağla llk
Assistant Curator: Irene Panzani
Press/PR Director: Aynur Ganiler
Production Management: Kubilay Özmen
Coordinators: Deniz Erbaş, Didem Gürdoğan, Erdal Sezer, Erdinç Alnıak, Gözde Robin, Ismail Erten
Biennial Management Centers: CABININ & MAHAL Art Center For more info: info@canakkalebienali.com
www.canakkalebienali.com
