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Having yet to visit Istanbul I decided to go to the 15th Biennial for the day, about time too!
My first stop was Istanbul Modern Art Museum where I was confronted with ‘Strange Fruit’ by Hale Tenger, a lovely work of opera with upside down globes. In this work Tenger questions the meaningless global order imposed by frontiers and socioeconomic conditions. Referencing the struggle against racism in USA, taken from a poem written by American dissident Abel Meeropol.
I was so happy to encounter collection artist Ferhat Özgür’s work. Through the use of a woman lip reading to the famous Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah Özgür explores the individual’s relationship with blending into society both culturally and socially.
On the way out I discovered this delightful work by Vahit Tuna where instead of gazing up at the sun he is staring up at a loud speaker.
Continuing with the theme of displacement I go downstairs and spot this disturbing work by Adel Abdessemed. ‘Cri’ 2013 appears to reference the infamous image by photojournalist Nick Ut who documented a distraught young child as troops were bombing South Vietnam.
Artist Xiao Yu caused quite a stir by putting to work an oxen on the indoor fields of the Museum grounds, watched over by these Chinese farmers.
Greek Primary School was very impressive, Erkan Özgen’s film ‘Wonderland’ 2016, recounts the terrible things a deaf 13 year old boy experienced whilst escaping northern Syria. Using only his body to articulate his traumatic experience the work is both mesmerising and disturbing to view.
I best of all loved the work by Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe, ‘The San San Trilogy’ 2014-16, which addressed Californian subcultures experienced through a sci-fi installation inspired by futurist Herman Kahn’s book ‘The Year 2000’.
The Grand Finale of the Biennial for me was Stephen G. Rhodes’ installation ‘Willkommen Assumption: Or the PrivatePropertylessness and Pals’ 2017 – once again never letting us down with his dystopian fantasies.
The work was very ‘now’, discussing the many disasters that can affect the lives of people living today. Here is a gnome saving the planet!
A total sense of insecurity prevails and there was impending doom for sure. A hint of Paul McCarthy on steroids, or perhaps Mickey Mouse on heroin…
After an emotional and intense Biennial visit I had time to check out Kamiar Maleki’s Contemporary Istanbul art fair. It was definitely a great start for the new Director with a broad choice of art and galleries – great effort! I very much liked ‘Masque délavé’ 2015 by Pascale Marthine Tayou at Galleria Continua.
Bozlu Art Project were showing this mechanical horse designed and built by Server Demirtaş - it was powerful, beautiful and perfect. I was blown away and felt it was not only the most ambitious work in the fair but one of the most ambitious works I have seen for a long time.
It was nice to meet future great gallerist Maximillian William. He was full of enthusiasm over his new artist Magda Skupinska. We are delighted to add this beautiful work Butcher, containing rose petals and sandalwood, to the collection.
Before taking a romantic boat ride on the Bosphorus to the home of Oya Eczacıbaşı’s for dinner, I stopped off with Maria Baibakova and Fatima Maleki for a delicious Turkish coffee.
Finally posing for the camera to end a magnificent day was Amanda Love, Fusun Eczacibasi, Fatima Maleki and our lovely Gregor Muir. A special end to a perfect day!
