International Bodrum Biennial
WHEN THE DREAMS COME TRUE, THEY ARE NO MORE DREAMS…
There are two hundred biennials in the world. Some are well-known; some are not. These biennials and big group shows like Documenta [Kassel, Germany] (every five years) are necessary for all of us. The knowledge of the creative artists, their world is so rich and powerful; we all need a dialogue with them and their art through these great exhibitions. The energy of the biennials is different than the group shows or solo shows. They are great exhibitions with avant-garde artists and their creativity. They aren’t exhibitions for contemporary artists to find a market in the art world. These biennials are important for the education of the spectators, the artists, the interested people of the present and the past. That’s why having a catalogue is important. It is documentation for future generations. In these great exhibitions, the participating artists deal mainly with the content and their research, connecting and becoming one rather than trying to sell their art. The artworks displayed at biennials are pieces more likely for museums and not for galleries. The Europeans call the creative artists “medium.” When I was at Goldsmiths’ College in London, I asked, “What kind of medium are we?” They said, “Between God and humanity, artists receive messages from angels. They create till they become angels themselves.” As you can see, artists are sacred, and real artists are obsessed with creativity and originality. I would like to thank all the artists who participated in “The First International Bodrum Biennial,” our young curator Banu Grote, who is also a very talented artist, and our coordinator Serap Efe, who is also a participating artist and our exhibiting venue sponsors – “The Bodrum Castle,” “Osmanlı Tershanesi and Art Gallery,” Şevket Sabancı Art and Cultural Center, Turgutreis, and all the supporters who helped me realize my dream. I hope the art world will benefit immensely from this Biennial in the near future, as well as taking its place as one of the most creative biennials in the world. Gülsün Erbil, “Bodrum 2013” International Bodrum Biennial Project intellectuals, academicians, and concerned people, that exciting international art event soon will be turned into the castle of the contemporary art world for the universe. However, we unfortunately got very little support for the second International Bodrum Art Biennial yet it still resonates in an extreme and a positive way in spite of all the obstacles. That result simply and inevitably heralds the formation of a new international and future art platform in the Mediterranean area after the enviable Venice Biennale. That means the continuity of the International Bodrum Art Biennial will bring about and prepare the infrastructure for the future Bodrum Museum of Modern Art concept in Bodrum. Within the scope of the biennial and with the help of Neyzen Tevfik Colloquium, this year we all had an amazing and an incredible chance to listen to Hıfzı Topuz. Frankly, our desire and sincere wishes from the bottom of our hearts; we truly hope that the concerned people should definitely consider opening The Neyzen Tevfik Museum, and all initiatives should be started as soon as possible. Consequently, I do hope that organizations in Bodrum, intellectuals, art lovers, artists, academicians, and university students will have more interest than ever for the 3rd International Bodrum Art Biennial, which will be held in 2017. That is merely going to enable beautiful Bodrum to become one of the best culturally the most magnificent and intellectually one of the richest cities on earth. By articulating so, I just would like to emphasize and represent my deepest and sincere gratitude to all of the individuals who made huge and outstanding contributions for the second one.
Continuity of Devotion…
In lines wherever reminds us human being• is truly based on art culture, these are basically the only fundamental qu
alities that take the real lasting civilizations for ages. Bodrum, beyond offering a worldwide entertainment & fascinating city, millions of both domestic and foreign people as guests, also has been remarkably the main tourism spot and capital of many Mediterranean civilizations since ancient times.
As it is known, one of the world’s seven wonders, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, built in 350 BCE, is located in Bodrum, Turkey. It is a fact that the first Fine Arts Faculty called Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and the first Archaeological Museum in Turkey were founded by Osman Hamdi Bey. It is also known as an artist he preferred and lived in Bodrum, while similarly, the famous poet and philosopher Neyzen Tevfik were born on March 74th, 1879, in Bodrum. Accordingly, very Cevat Şakir and many others, including famous painters and writers, also lived here.
Today, it utterly gives me great and profound pleasure as well as an indescribable happiness to articulate that by the help of ATATÜRK, who founded the Republic of Turkey in 1923, and because of his amazing contribution to art and culture, we proudly and gratefully celebrate and perform various events in Turkey, including the International Bodrum Art Biennial. Simply, easily, and inevitably, it carries to the contemporary and at the same time universal level, as well as a civilized society.
While passing through the chaotic, art helps us and plays a vital role. Therefore, it offers and brings privileges to cities and promotes cultural tourism as well. Beyond that, it leads us to understand and appreciate the integration and necessity of contemporary life. Conversely, art does make us feel deeply respectful for the structure preserving and impressing that not only for the artists but also for the art lovers. Above all, it gives serious tasks to the municipalities and the related institutions in order to acquire and offer better and more quality life standards.
One of the greatest British philosophers, Bertrand Russell, quoted that “Men are ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.” This quote simply outlines how education came up to this point. Through the years, in this respect, by interfering with the wrong training, art helps tremendously to change perspectives fundamentally and correctly.
In order to make the creative art completely original, free, special, and leading, we need a solid and universal platform that artists could perform and create freely. Hence, the 2nd International Bodrum Art Biennial already suggested a consistent and concrete base for that. Thus, both Turkish and international artists were worldwide, indicating the importance of the biennial in terms of its development and continuity.
My friends and I hope that with the support of intellectuals, academicians, and the concerned people, this exciting international art event soon will turn into the castle of the contemporary art world for the universe. However, we unfortunately got very little support for the second International Bodrum Art Biennial, yet it resonates in an extreme and a positive way despite the obstacles. That result simply and inevitably leads to the formation of a new international and future art form in the Mediterranean area after the enviable Biennale. That means the continuity of the International Bodrum Art Biennial will bring about and prepare new infrastructure for the future Bodrum Museum of Modern Art concept in Bodrum.
Within the scope of the biennial and by the help of Neyzen Tevfik Colloquium, this year we all had an amazing and an incredible chance to listen to Hıfzı Topuz. Frankly, our desire and sincere wishes from the bottom of our hearts, we truly hope that the concerned people should definitely consider opening The Neyzen Tevfik Museum, and all initiatives should be started as soon as possible. Consequently, I do hope that organizations in Bodrum, intellectuals, art lovers, artists, academicians, and university students will have more interest than ever for the 3rd International Bodrum Art Biennial, which will be held in 2017. That is merely going to enable beautiful Bodrum to become one of the best, culturally the most magnificent, and intellectually one of the richest cities on earth. By articulating so, I just would like to emphasize and represent my deepest and sincere gratitude to all of the individuals who made huge and outstanding contributions for the second one.
Gülsün Erbil September, 2015
INTRODUCTION
This is the third International Bodrum Biennial, which we are organizing without sponsors except sponsors. This year, we organized the sixteenth October Parade exhibitions, which we realized altogether at sixteen cities all over Turkey as a respect to ATATÜRK and to celebrate the 94th Anniversary of the Republic of
Turkey. The International Bodrum Biennial marks the transformation of the “October Parade” exhibition, and I hope all the cities having October Parade Exhibitions will have biennials soon.
Perhaps, for the art world, the most important news of this year is that we have the copyright of the International Istanbul Biennial, which I thought and dreamed about in 1972. It was such a long and mystical process, and after I returned to Istanbul, I have been thinking about it, but it occurred all of a sudden this year. Hopefully, we will organize it soon for the sake of Turkish artists as well as others.
Actually, in all civilized societies, creativity and pure art represent another dimension for humans. The essence of art and creativity is freedom. Art also unites all societies through love and peace, acting as a healing force for today’s troubled world. Only artists can bring the world’s cosmic power, the joy which saves the world from negativity and sickness.
I would like to mention that good artists don’t like thematic biennials or exhibitions because it goes against their creativity and freedom. They all have their own eclectic ideas and styles, and we are aware of this issue. The third International Bodrum Biennial didn’t have a theme.
This year, the title of the Bodrum Biennial was “ANGLE.” My angle has to realize a biennial which had the absence of conflict of interest, selfish strife, and separation; also, there was no place in politics. This biennial, integrated into society, has been widely acclaimed more than other biennials. Let us see what the artists wrote about the “ANGLE.”
Finally, I would like to thank Esin Reinhardt, who supported us to publish our catalog, and all dear artist friends and lecturers for having the courage to take part in this creative journey.
Gülsün Erbil
International Istanbul Biennial
I thought about organizing an international art biennial in Turkey for the first time when I was in Egypt in 1972. After having the copyright for this project in Istanbul for over three years, the conditions were favorable to stage it finally this year. I started by having private meetings with the artists in Turkey and abroad who had been my friends and were brave enough to participate in a new venture as a joint alternative platform for international art. I have organized the International Bodrum Biennial for 12 years without sponsors, such that not only have I gained enough experience but also the trust in my friends and myself that we would be able to continue without getting financial support.
I believe that change is always good for arts. Bringing together artworks and artists from different origins was needed in the contemporary art environment. The idea was supported by the new Istanbul Greater Municipal Council (IBB), who allowed us to use the premises of the Mahsem, the 18th-century water distribution center for Istanbul commissioned by Sultan Mahmud I in 1731. These premises have become an active cultural center since January 2014 with the backing of the IBB.
Despite the short period of only 3 weeks of exhibition this year, receiving more than 10,000 visitors has clearly proven that creative artists who work under diverse conditions and places can stage internationally significant projects in the art world. The duration of the next biennial is hoped to be 3 months.
The significance of our understanding of a biennial is that it does not have a prescribed theme or a curator as in the other biennials, thus giving the creative artists the “freedom” of expression they need. According to art critics, there are now nearly 300 biennials all over the world since the event was started in 1895 with the Venice Biennial, and that number keeps increasing. Nearly all of these events have a curator and a theme which the exhibiting artists have to conform to or are chosen to exhibit for working within the scope of that specific theme. Biennials do have an important role in the arts and the cultural arena, but they can have an even greater impact on the contemporary.
“Mutual communication is effective in opening up new paths in art politics, as well as providing the best publicity of a country’s unique art.”
