The Istanbul Biennial celebrates its 30th anniversary

The 15th Istanbul Biennial, entitled a good neighbour and curated by the artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset, will take place from September 16 to November 12, 2017. Organised since 1987 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the Istanbul Biennial celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

The most comprehensive international arts exhibition in Turkey and its neighbourhood, the Istanbul Biennial hosted a total of 1,168 artists and artist collectives. Throughout this timespan, the biennial produced 620 new site-specific artworks.

In addition to site-specific production, the discovery of alternative and historical venues through contemporary art has been another essential component of the Istanbul Biennial, since the very beginning. The Istanbul Biennial has always been innovative in its venue choices, turning the venues into integral parts of the exhibition.

Collaborating with various curators from Turkey and abroad, the Istanbul Biennial made use of more than 100 diverse and unexpected venues in the city, including Hagia Sophia Museum, Ataturk Cultural Center, Prince’s Islands, Bosphorus Bridge, Maiden Tower and Antrepo Buildings.

a good neighbour will continue this tradition and will be visited free of charge for two months at six nearby venues within walking distance. A variety of artworks dealing with multiple notions of home and neighbourhood will be hosted by the following venues:

Istanbul Modern is a former cargo warehouse that gained the status of a modern art museum following its initial use as a space for contemporary art at the 8th Istanbul Biennial in 2003. Galata Greek Primary School was built in the neo-classical architectural style in the late 19th century. The school was one of the main educational locations for children of Greek descent in Istanbul for over a century, until it officially closed its doors in 2007. Ark Kültür was originally built as a family home. After going through a change in its physical appearance under the ownership of an Italian antique dealer, the house was restored back to its original state in 2008 and converted into an exhibition and cultural space. Pera Museum was originally built by architect Achille Manoussos as Hotel Bristol in 1893. Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation founded the Pera Museum after the neo-classical building’s renovation in 2005. A local artist collective’s studio in Beyoğlu will be redesigned as an apartment to welcome smaller crowds on a fixed viewing schedule to explore a new and immersive installation developed by the collective specifically for the Biennial. Küçük Mustafa Paşa Hammam, still within walking distance of the other venues, is one of the oldest Turkish baths in Istanbul and beautifully portrays the traditional social structures of the Ottoman period. Both the male and the female sections of the hammam will be used for the Biennial, the latter will be used as an exhibition space for the first time.

For further information: bienal.iksv.org

Plan your stay: Contact planyourstay [​at​] iksv.org for further information about travel and tours.

Media conference: September 12 
Media preview: September 12–13
Media and professional preview: September 14–15

For media and professional accreditation the deadline is September 4: bienal.iksv.org/en/press/accreditation

For international media inquiries, please contact:
IKSV Media Relations: media [​at​] iksv.org
Caroline Widmer, Pickles PR: caroline [​at​] picklespr.com