YEDİTEPE BIENNIAL WORKSHOP: ARTS NOURISHED BY TRADITION IN CONTEMPORARY ART ENVIRONMENTS
 

The aim of biennials, which are organised in many parts of the world today and with different concepts, is to establish communication between artists and audiences from different cultures, as well as to re-evaluate the position of the city in the changing world through the eyes of artists. Yeditepe Biennial, which is nourished by our arts that form the cornerstone of our civilisation and make us feel our identity and belonging, aims to be among the contemporary art biennials and has chosen the oldest settlement of Istanbul, one of the most ancient settlements in human history, which has hosted different cultures and beliefs.

The Yeditepe Biennial, which has so far been organised with the themes of ‘(Craftsmen in the Ottoman Empire [Ehl-i Hiref])’ and ‘Inside/Outside the Frame’, has made significant artistic contributions, but has also brought many debates. These discussions led us to establish a commission, which analysed existing reports and made comprehensive assessments.

The topics that emerged as a result of the consultations are categorised under five main headings; In this context, the Yeditepe Biennial Workshop titled ‘Arts Nourished by Tradition in Contemporary Art Environments’, which was held on 28 September 2024 at Neslişah Sultan Cultural Centre in cooperation with the Classical Turkish Arts Foundation, Fatih Municipality and FSMVÜ ISM (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University, Islamic Arts Application and Research Centre), has been a fruitful platform for in-depth discussions on the significance of traditional arts in today's art world.

In the workshop, five main topics, which were determined in line with the discussions brought up after the 2nd Yeditepe Biennial, were discussed in detail by expert academics and artists at different tables under the guidance of moderators. Under the coordination of the main moderator Emine Canlı, the negotiators, consisting of Beral Madra, Fatih Özkafa, Selami Varlık, Şevket Cem Onat, Zeynep Gökgöz and Yasemin Tanrıverdi, evaluated the reports prepared at the tables and made a comprehensive concluding speech at the end of the day.

Topics addressed in the workshop:
 

Placement and Installation of the Artwork in the Artist-Curator-Venue Triangle

The Problem of Identity and Belonging between Artwork, Artist, Patron and Audience in the Biennial Environment

Adhering to Tradition in Art: Can Art Exist Without Tradition?

Interaction through Art Biennials in the Context of Culture

Relationship between the Current World Agenda and the Theme of Biennials