Istanbul Biennial

Long awaited 12th Istanbul Biennial takes place at Antrepo 3 and 5 since September. Having hosted many biennials, starting with the fourth edition, these venues have also witnessed important transformations in terms of architectural design. This time, Hoffmann and Pedrosa invited the Office of Ryue Nishizawa to create the environment, the architectural reflection of the ideas they were developing. With our belief in art’s power to understand and change the world, it is possible to say that “Untitled” exhibition is organized with an effort to transform the world we live in into a better place.

Among various, my favorite piece of the whole exhibition is Giant (Gigante) by Portuguese artist Francisco Tropa. The artist believes that death is the matrix that emanates from all and any artistic construction. "It perhaps lies at art's primeval origin, as a mark of this secret threshold or celebration of this passage, to which was later added a sense of religiosity that has forever impregnated the artistic object as a mediator between two worlds" says Tropa about this compelling piece. In Giant, beyond an evident irony, the title involves an allusion to the use of scale in sculpture. The artist presents two identical skeletons arranged on the floor, molded in bronze, based on the same absent original. These two bodies are accompanied with a projection of a feather, of a magnified image of it, of a breath of air, allusions that evince a certain melancholy. The entire image is offered to whoever passes by. And whoever looks at it also observes the observer. I believe this remarkable piece of work is one of the most compelling yet touching installations of the "Untitled" exhibition.

12th Istanbul Biennial will be welcoming guests at Antrepo, Istanbul Modern Museum of Art by November 13th.