Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) is a non-profit non-governmental organisation founded in 1973.

The Foundation’s initial goal was to offer the finest examples of art from around the world, while at the same time promote the national, cultural and artistic assets of Turkey, by using the arts to create an international platform of communication. The first International Istanbul Festival, organised in 1973 on the 50th Anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic, took place over one and a half months, and focused mainly on classical music. Soon after this, it drew additional artistic fields into its programme, such as film screenings, theatre productions, jazz and ballet performances, and art exhibitions held in historic venues. As public interest grew, groups of events organised in different artistic disciplines gradually evolved into distinct festivals.

Presented as a separate section under the name “International Istanbul Filmdays” in 1983, the film week transformed into the International Istanbul Film Festival in 1989; 1987 marked the beginning of the Istanbul Biennial, and in 1989 the Istanbul Theatre Festival was initiated. The Istanbul Jazz Festival was initiated in 1994, the same year that the Istanbul Festival changed its name to the International Istanbul Music Festival. And finally, with the addition of Istanbul Design Biennial to take start in 2012, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts is now an institution that organises a total of six international culture and art events.

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts has been organising the Istanbul Biennial since 1987. The Biennial aims to create a meeting point in Istanbul to draw together visual artists and audiences from diverse cultures. The eleven biennials IKSV has organised up to this point have enabled the formation of an international cultural network between local and international art circles, artists, curators and art critics, by bringing together new trends in contemporary art every two years.

Considered as one of the most prestigious and experimental biennials, the Istanbul Biennial prefers an exhibition model which enables a dialogue between artists and the audience through the works instead of a national representation model. The curator, appointed by an international advisory board, develops a conceptual framework according to which a variety of artists and projects are invited to the exhibition.

The most comprehensive international art exhibition organised both in Turkey and throughout the region around it, the Istanbul Biennial plays an important role in the promotion of contemporary artists not only from Turkey but from a number of different countries in the international arena.

After the first two biennials realised under the general coordination of Beral Madra in 1987 and 1989, IKSV decided to adapt a single curator system following the Istanbul Biennial directed by Vasõf Kortun in 1992. The Biennial has been organised under the curatorship of; RenŽ Block, 1995; Rosa Mart’nez, 1997; Paolo Colombo, 1999; Yuko Hasegawa, 2001; Dan Cameron, 2003; Charles Esche and Vasõf Kortun. 2005, Hou Hanru , 2007; and What, How & for Whom / WHW, 2009. The 12th Istanbul Biennial will be curated by Adriano Pedrosa ve Jens Hoffmann in 2011.

The number of projects exhibited in each biennial depends on the choice of the curator/s and the available funding. The last edition, curated by WHW / What, How & for Whom in 2009 featured 141 projects by 70 artists and artist collectives from 40 countries.

The editorial structure and the design concept of the Biennial’s publications are designated by the curator of the edition. The first three Biennials, produced only one publication respectively, and each included information and images about the artists and works in the exhibitions. The 4th Biennial marked the beginning of the tradition of preparing two publications, which were, only for this edition, an exhibition catalogue and a portfolio book of the participating artists. During the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Biennials, the content of these two publications were revised. The exhibition catalogue included a curatorial text regarding the conceptual framework in addition to information about participating artists and artworks presented in the exhibitions. The second publication, namely ‘Plus (+)’, was prepared during the Biennial and published once the exhibitions ended. This publication functioned as the visual archive of the Istanbul Biennial, including unique images of the artworks from the exhibition spaces in Istanbul.

The structure and content of these two publications were revised once again for the 9th Biennial. Since that point, two publications are prepared for the Biennial, in addition to the artist books and publications produced as part of the exhibitions. One of these two printed materials is ‘the Guide’, which includes brief information about the works exhibited and artists featured in the Biennial, in addition to maps and practical info about how and where to view the exhibitions. The second printed material of the Biennial is a publication prepared in line with the Biennial’s conceptual framework and therefore the format, content and style of this material changes with every Biennial. This publication, which usually includes artists’ biographies, academic articles, or art criticism, has an archival value and aims to contribute to the literature of critical thinking on contemporary art.

The Istanbul Biennial’s exhibitions take place in different venues in every edition, selected by the curator in accordance with the conceptual framework.

The exhibitions in the previous biennials have taken place in venues such as; Yerebatan Cistern, Antrepo No.1, No.5 and No.4 (former customs buildings), AtatŸrk Cultural Centre, The Imperial Mint, Hagia Eireni Museum, Sirkeci Train Station, Haydarpaea Train Station, Maiden’s Tower, AtatŸrk Airport, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorus Bridge, Emberlita Hammam, Hagia Sophia Museum, Deniz Palas Apartment (which is now home to IKSV’s offices), Tobacco Warehouse, Istanbul Textile Traders’ Market, Kadõkšy Public Education Centre and Ferikšy Greek School.