THE 2ND ISTANBUL DESIGN BIENNIAL

THE 2ND ISTANBUL DESIGN BIENNIAL

1 NOVEMBER – 14 DECEMBER 2014

Rebuild the electronic and digital tools by Coralie Gourgechon

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial The Future Is Not What It Used To Be organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and curated by Zoë Ryan opens to the public on 1 November. Throughout the city and in the biennial hub, Galata Greek Primary School, the biennial features 53 projects from designers all over the world that ask: “What is the future now?” as well as panels, conversations, workshops, film screenings and many other events until 14 December 2014. By rethinking the manifesto as a platform to frame pertinent questions, the projects question the role of design, its relationship to society, and its ability to be an active agent for change. The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial is co-sponsored by Arçelik, Doğuş Group & Bilgili Holding, ENKA Foundation and VitrA and it is held free of charge. 

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial has opened with a media conference held on Thursday, 30 October at Galata Greek Primary School with the participation of İKSV General Manager Görgün Taner, Director of Istanbul Design Biennial Deniz Ova and curator Zoë Ryan.

Zoë Ryan says, “Istanbul has a thriving creative community, so it seems an especially appropriate city in which to reflect on the field of design. In an effort to contribute to an already rich dialogue in Turkey and focus on issues urgently affecting daily life, the biennial brings together diverse design ideas from across the world for an emerging set of conditions”. Ryan also adds, “The 2014 Istanbul Design Biennial is envisioned as a conversation starter. It is an occasion to present a range of projects by some of the most inventive practitioners working today, and emphasize the critical role that design plays in identifying points of urgency and posing questions about the objects, buildings, and environments we interact with daily, as well as materializing outcomes.”

The conference was followed by the exhibition tour guided by curator Zoë Ryan and associate curator Meredith Carruthers. After the tour, The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial Academy Programme Exhibitions and other events were visited at the biennial’s event space, Antrepo 7.

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial hub, Galata Greek Primary School

The exhibition at the 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial hub, Galata Greek Primary School continues over all five floors of the school, an area of approximately 2,300 square metres. The projects imagine new possibilities that can transform the present and invite new potential futures. The biennial features 53 projects by more than 200 designers from more than 20 countries including Australia, China, France, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United States, that propose alternative manifestos in the form of objects, fashion accessories, food, menus, maps, buildings, visual languages, systems, and services.

Arranged in five departments by curator Zoë Ryan and associate curator Meredith Carruthers — Personal, Norms and Standards, Resource, Civic Relations, and Broadcast — the projects in the exhibition question the manifesto as a platform for situating ideas and pointing to new directions.

An additional project, “The Exhibition as Manifesto,” is a survey of the history of design exhibitions through the lens of thirteen historic shows. Compiled by the curators in collaboration with researcher Maggie Taft, these seminal group and thematic exhibitions dating from 1956 to 2007 were selected for their continued relevance and resonance in the design field.

In addition to the exhibition, the biennial hub at the Galata Greek Primary School hosts different events for design enthusiasts daily for six weeks: theKontraakt team's broadcast programming, which includes a weekly radio show, is held on Tuesdays and throughout the week, Q&A's and panels on Wednesdays, film screenings on Thursdays, and Children and Youth Programmes every day.

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial Events

The Istanbul Design Biennial event space Antrepo 7 hosts the biennial’s Academy Programme as well as other exhibitions, seminars, conversations and workshops during six weeks. The biennial will spread over the city with its Design Walks, How To Do Too Kadıköy Project and film screenings. More information about the programme is available at: tasarımbienali.iksv.org

The Academy Programme featuring 72 projects organised by over 33 academic institutions from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Europe and the United States to reveal different aspects of the biennial theme, can be viewed at university campuses and at Antrepo 7, from 1 November to 14 December. Antrepo 7, located in Salıpazarı Harbour is open to the public for the first time as the 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial Event space.

A digital platform has been created as a long term archive for the university projects participating in the Istanbul Design Biennial. Under the sponsorship ofPolimeks Holding, the Academy Programme Platform (tasarimbienali.iksv.org/akademiprogrami) also has an awards scheme for the projects that receive the highest amount of viewer traffic on the platform.

Within the scope of the Istanbul Design Biennial, the exhibition POLSKA IN BETWEEN is organised in collaboration with Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw, in honour of 600 years of Polish-Turkish diplomatic relations. POLSKA IN BETWEEN is an extensive presentation of contemporary Polish design, including product, graphic design, design thinking, public space, food design, design for children, as well as conceptual work. The fruits of the diverse design workshops, lectures, exhibitions, artist residencies, panel discussions and projects will be shown at Antrepo 7.

More programmes and workshops will also be held by Arçelik, Türk Tuborg A.Ş. and VitrA in Antrepo 7.

Design Walks, comprised of visits to design studios, stores, manufacturers, and noted buildings in 6 neighbourhoods and 6 thematic walks on Istanbul’s Asian and European sides to examine the textures of the city and observe traditional crafts are organised throughout the biennial.

Building on themes of dialogue and exchange in the biennial, the Talk to Us Panels & Designers in Dialogue Conversations gather together curators, critics and designers to explore new potentials for the design manifesto in the 21st Century and ask critical questions about our shared future, now. The panels and conversations are sponsored by VitrA and held free of charge. 

The Film Programme held in Galata Greek Primary School and TAK Kadıköy throughout the biennial, presents different approaches to living in the future.

How To Do Too Kadıköy is a collaborative action initiated as part of the biennial. Building on the experience and expertise of both 72 Hour Urban Action(72 HUA) and Tasarım Atölyesi Kadıköy (TAK; Design Atelier Kadiköy), an open call to designers has resulted in the creation of 5 urban furniture for 5 meeting points of Istanbul’s Kadıköy neighbourhood. The furniture will be constructed with the residents by using recycling materials on Saturday, 1 November and Sunday, 2 November. The event will be held at 9.00 in TAK Kadıköy, at 12.00 at Kadıköy pier, at 15.00 at Kadıköy Altıyol Square onSaturday 1 November; and at 9.00 in Moda Çay Bahçesi (Moda Tea Garden) and 12.00 in Moda shore on Sunday, 2 November. 

The images and video recordings showing the prototypes and design process will be on display in the 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial Exhibition in Galata Greek Primary School as of 11 November. 

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial Youth and Children’s Workshop Programme

The Youth and Children’s Workshops titled EKO Tasarım are organised by the Informel Eğitim – çocukistanbul every day throughout the biennial at the Galata Greek Primary School. Within the scope of the workshops sponsored by Ülker, children and youngsters will deliberate on design and future in an interactive and fun environment, set out on a design excursion among the exhibited projects and combine different design strategies with their problem solving, creativity, and communication skills to create their own designs. The programme has different contents for different age groups and it is open to students under teacher supervision during the weekdays and to children and youngsters together with their parents on weekends. All workshops are held free of charge. For detailed information: cocukatolyesi@iksv.org

Also, in collaboration with SALT Interpretation, high school students will discuss the idea of design, new trends and innovations in the field. Students will attend guided biennial tours and several workshops on public space, kitchen design and ergonomics and also meet with the biennial team, as well as professional designers and architects.  

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial Visitor Information, Guided Tours and Publications

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial hub, Galata Greek Primary School (Address: Kemeraltı Cad. No: 25 Galata, İstanbul) is open to the public every day from10.00 to 19.00 except Monday and between from 10.00 to 20.00 on Thursday. 

Antrepo 7 event space where the Academy Programme and other events are on display is open every day from 10.00 to 19.00, except Monday. Both venues will be open on Monday, 3 November.

The guided tours are offered at 11.00, 13.00, 15.00 and 17.00 on weekdays and at 11.00, 13.00, 15.00, 16.00 and 17.00 on weekends. The ticket prices for the guided tours are 15 TL (full) and 8 TL (student); for groups (20+ people) 10 TL (full) and 5 TL (student). 

Two publications are prepared for the 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial. A guide and booklet including the biennial exhibition plans and the event programme, and the catalogue including the details of the exhibition projects and texts related to the theme of the biennial can be purchased at the biennial hub and İKSV Design Store. The guide and booklet can also be downloaded for free from İKSV Kitaplık application on AppStore.

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial Supporters

The 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial is organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and co-sponsored by Arçelik, Doğuş Group & Bilgili Holding, ENKA Foundation and VitrA.

The biennial’s Academy Platform Sponsor is Polimeks Holding, Panel Sponsor is VitrA, Children’s Workshop Sponsor is Ülker and Workshop Sponsor is Türk Tuborg A.Ş.

Contributing Corporations to the biennial are Amorim, ERSA, Dhoku, Adahan İstanbul Hotel, the House Hotel Collection, Silkar Madencilik, Interface Türkiye, UPM-Kymmene Kağıt Ürünleri San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti.

Contributing Institutions to the biennial are Creative Industries Fund NL, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Dutch Culture, centre for international cooperation, Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Italian Cultural Centre,  Artis, Embassy of Mexico in Turkey, Canada Council for the Arts, Australian Embassy Turkey, French Cultural Center,Consulate General of Austria Cultural Office.

The biennial's exhibition space, catalogue, and visual identity are designed by Istanbul based SUPERPOOL and Project Projects from New York. The seating groups and special designs in the biennial hub are produced with in-kind support provided by Amorim. The promotional campaign of the biennial is prepared by Uğurcan Ataoğlu and Pemra Ataç Açıktan.

All the festivals and biennials of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) are supported by the Leading Sponsor Eczacıbaşı Holding; theOfficial Communication Sponsor Vodafone Türkiye, the Official Carrier Sponsor DHL and the Official Hotel Sponsor Martı Istanbul Hotel.

The Istanbul Design Biennial is also supported by the Promotion Fund of the Prime Ministry, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism,General Directorate of Copyright, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Beyoğlu Municipality.

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