7. Istanbul Biennial

UNESCO PRIZE FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE ARTS AWARD 2001 IS DESIGNATED AT THE 7TH INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL BIENNIAL 7th International Istanbul Biennial (Septemmber 21 - November 17, 2001) organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts is pleased to announce that the UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of the Arts 2001 was awarded within the framework of the Istanbul Biennial 2001. The prize consists of a financial award of US $20.000. The prizewinners are selected from among the artists participating in the 7th International Istanbul Biennial.

The jury presided over by Mr. Pierre Restany (art critic & art historian) and the members of the jury will include Ms. Fulya Erdemci (independent curator & art critic), Mr. Adriano Pedrosa (independent curator & art critic), Mr. Hans Ulrich Obrist (Curator - Musee d'Art Moderna de la Villee, Paris), Ms. Kitty Scott (Curator of Contemporary Art National Gallery of Canada) and M. Manray Hsu (indepent curator).

The jury worked on September 18,19 and 20. The Unesco Prize for the Promotion of the Arts 2001 is presented at the Imperial Mint on September 21 at 7pm during the opening ceremony of the 7th International Istanbul Biennial.

UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of the Arts 2001 is designated as follows: MATHIEU BRIAND LEANDRO ERLICH SASCHA HAGHIGHIAN OMER ALI KAZMA

SPECIAL MENTION TO WENG-SIG DU

The UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of the Arts is awarded in accordance with the ideals of Mr. Kaii Higashiyama in recognition of outstanding creative achievements by young artists, or artists groups, in the field of visual arts, new technologies (annual) and performing arts, and to encourage their further development as artists. The prize was created within the framework of the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988 - 1997) and has been awarded in connection with the programme concerning creation and creativity with an establishment of an unlimited duration.

VENUES OF THE 7th INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL BIENNIAL The 7th International Istanbul Biennial organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts will take place between 21 September - 17 November 2001. The 7th Biennial will be curated by Yuko Hasegawa under the title "EGOFUGAL: Fugue from Ego for the Next Emergence" and will host 63 artists. The 7th International İstanbul Biennial will mainly be realized in four historical venues, namely the Imperial Mint, Hagia Eirene Museum, Yerebatan Cistern, all located in the heart of the old city and the Beylerbeyi Palace, on the Asian side of Istanbul. There will be a number of satellite venues in different districts throughout the city.

The Imperial Mint buildings make up a complex, built over a period extending from the 18th century to the early 1900's. The Mint moved to its building next to Hagia Eirene Church in the garden of the Topkapı Palace in 1726 and continued its operation in these premises until it was transferred to its present building in 1967. Comprising rare examples of existant 18th century industrial architecture, the Imperial Mint perfectly embodies the idea of a city within a city. The Imperial Mint is situated Inside the first yard of the Topkapı Palace in Sultanahmet and will be open from 10am to 7pm except Tuesdays.

Hagia Eirene Museum which is the second most important Byzantine church in Istanbul after St. Sophia is located in the first yard of the Topkapı Palace. This Byzantine-style basilica, which was built at the beginning of the 4th century by Emperor Constantine I (307-337) is one of the oldest Christian sanctuaries in Istanbul. After the conquest of Istanbul, for a while it was used as an arsenal, then in the first half of the 18th century as a storehouse of arms for the Ministry of War. The exhibition of Anatolian Civilizations in 1983 gave the church a new function. Since that time the building is used for various cultural events such as concerts and performances and exhibitions. Hagia Eirene Museum is located inside the first yard of the Topkapı Palace in Sultanahmet and will be open from 10am to 7pm except Tuesdays.

Yerebatan Cistern which was built by Justinian in 532 was also known as the Basilica Cistern during the Byzantine period because of the Stoa Basilica laying underneath. It was used to store water for the Great Palace and the other buildings in the vicinity. The cistern, which was called Yerebatan Sarayi (Sunken Palace) during the Ottoman period is the largest and the most magnificent of the many underground cisterns of the city. The first restoration work in the cistern started in 1968 and again in 1985. The cistern was opened to public in 1987. Yerebatan Cistern is located at Yerebatan Caddesi No:13 in Sultanahmet and will be open from 10am to 6pm daily.

Beylerbeyi Palace is the largest and most elegant Ottoman Palace on the Asian Shore of the Bosphorus. The Beylerbeyi Palace built by Mahmut II, constructed in 1861-65 to take on the official functions of the Topkapı Palace by Sarkis Balyan, a famous Armenian architect. The palace, constructed entirely from timber, was partially damaged by a fire during the reign of Abdulmecid. His successor Abdulaziz had the entire timber structure demolished and constructed a marble-and-stone palace on the same spot which was designed by Agop and Sarkis Balyan. Beylerbeyi Palace, at the Beylerbeyi Square will be open from 10am to 5pm except Mondays & Thursdays.

Like many of the artists Alberto Garutti who evidences a strong style in his public projects will create a public project in Istanbul. He will realise his streetlight project on the Bosphorus Bridge, which connects Europe and Asia. Garutti's installation will be viewed from both sides of Bosphorus.

James Turrell will also create a public work for the Istanbul Biennial. Turrell proposes to use Leander's Tower located on a small island at the entrance of Bosphorus in the centre of Europe and Asia that serves as a light tower for the passing ships. As it is one of the most important structures of the city, when this work is completed, it will be a symbolic piece for the 7th Istanbul Biennial, and central to presenting the concept "Field of Collective Consciousness". Turrell's light installation will be seen only at night from both sides of Bosphorus.

Rirkrit Tiravanija proposes a film screening at one of the squares of Istanbul. Each of four films to be screened is determined by a survey done in Turkey and will be a meeting point for the Istanbulites for three nights. Film projections will take place on 22, 23, 24 September between 21:00-24:00 in front of Tüyap Sergi Salonu, Tepebaşı.

On Kawara's ''Pure Consciousness'' will be exhibited at the Atlıkarınca Kindergarten, which will be open to visitors on weekends from 10am to 7 pm at Silahşör Caddesi Fırın Sokak No:7 Bomonti, Şişli.

Maja Bajevic's performance will take place at the Cemberlitas Hamam on 20 September 2001 at 11:00, 21-22-23-24 September at 13.30. The video documentation of Bajevic's performance will be exhibited at the same Hamam from 25 September to 17 November, 2001.

Fuat Sahinler & Murat Sahinler & Ahmet Soysal and Kemal Onsoy will contribute to the 7th Istanbul Biennial with their Billboards throughout the city.

Pressetext

7th International Istanbul Biennial 1995
Kurator: Yuko Hasegawa

mit Alberto Garutti, Ana Maria Tavares, Anya Gallaccio, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, CAMBALACHE Collective (Federico Guzman, Carolina Caycedo, Raimond Chaves, Adriana Garcia), Carsten Nicolai, Cem Arik, Chris Burden, Chris Cunningham, David Noonan & Simon Trevaks, Dominique Gonzales-Foerster, Du Weng-Sig, Ernesto Leal, Evgen Bavcar, EXONEMO (Yae Akaiwa, Kensuke Sembo), Fabian Marcaccio, Fernando Romero, Francis Alÿs, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Fuat Sahinler & Murat Sahinler & Ahmet Soysal, Gabriel Orozco, Guillermo Kuitca, Henrietta Lehtonen, Hussein Chalayan, Isa Genzken, James Turrell, Jan Fabre, Jane & Louise Wilson, Joyce Hinterding, Kazuhiko Hachiya, Kemal Önsoy, Kim Young Jin, Leandro Erlich, Lee Bul, Leyla Gediz, Lu Hao, Lygia Clark, Ma Liuming, Magnus Wallin, Maja Bajevic, Mathieu Briand, Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset, Michael Lin, Mika Taanila & Matti Suuronen, Motohiko Odani, Mukadder Simsek, Okisato Nagata, On Kawara, Ömer Ali Kazma, Philippe Parreno, Pierre Huyghe, Rachel Berwick, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Rodney Graham, Sascha Haghighian, SANAA (Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa), Simone Berti, Sislej Xhafa, Stan Douglas, Tomma Abts, Yang Fudong, Yutaka Sone