Istanbul Design Biennial begins
13 October–12 December 2012
Istanbul Design Biennial
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
Sadi Konuralp Caddesi No: 5
Şişhane 34433 Istanbul, Turkey
T +90 212 334 07 65-66
ist.designbiennial [at] iksv.org
istanbuldesignbiennial.iksv.org
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) welcomes the public to the first edition of the Istanbul Design Biennial from 13 October to 12 December 2012. Generating critical discussion of design issues, the biennial delves into the theme of Imperfection, suggested by Deyan Sudjic, Director of Design Museum, London and member of the biennial’s Advisory Board. The curators of the biennial, Emre Arolat and Joseph Grima, present two independent exhibitions, bringing together about 100 projects within the framework of the biennial theme.
Adhocracy by Joseph Grima, taking place at the historical Galata Greek Primary School, surveys the contemporary design scene in the wake of a social and technological revolution that has transformed the realm of design in recent years. The title refers to a move away from the dominance of the bureaucratic, industrial-era model of organization, towards an approach that embraces open-source, bottom-up innovation. Adhocracy argues that rather than in finished products, the maximum expression of design today is to be found in processes—systems, tools, networks and platforms that involve users in the process of definition of the end product.
Musibet by Emre Arolat, hosted at the Istanbul Modern, displays the multiple faces of the continuous urban transformations taking effect in Istanbul and other geographic sites. The idea of the “Grand Transformation” enjoys broad appeal and increasing influence, using arguments that eliminate any doubts over its legitimacy and necessity; however, its radical effects on all segments of the community have yet to be fully revealed. Moreover, it highlights many situations that should be investigated at the level of individual rights and freedom. The exhibition creates a small gap in which the self-styled “marvellous” legitimacy of contemporary urban design activities might be questioned.
Apart from the two main exhibitions, the biennial programme involves a wide range of events, including the academy and seminar programmes, workshop presentations, film screenings, parallel participant events, and design walks until 12 December 2012. A full list of events can be found on the Biennial website.
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Media Relations
Elif Obdan: T + 90 212 334 07 13 / elif.obdan [at] iksv.org
