Curators Announced for 19th Istanbul Biennial

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), with the support of Koç Holding, has unveiled the curators for the 19th Istanbul Biennial. This prestigious event, set to run from September 18 to November 14, 2027, will be helmed by the artist and curator Liu Ding and the art historian and curator Carol Yinghua Lu. The duo, who have been collaborating on curatorial projects since 2007 and previously co-directed the 8th Yokohama Triennale in 2024, bring a wealth of experience to this significant cultural undertaking.

Their curatorial vision for the 19th Istanbul Biennial signals a deliberate departure from prevailing trends. Liu Ding and Carol Yinghua Lu express a desire to move beyond "reactive commentary and technological escapism," advocating instead for a "serious shift in focus." They aim to reclaim the critical resilience and perceived grandeur of art, fostering an environment where independent and resilient futures for artistic production can be not only imagined but actively built. This approach promises a thought-provoking and potentially transformative experience for attendees.

This focus on a "shift in perspective" is particularly relevant in today's complex global landscape, marked by "harsh political fluctuations and algorithmic technologies." The curators' intention to create a space for "independent and resilient artistic production" resonates deeply within Turkey, a nation often navigating its own unique geopolitical and cultural currents. The Istanbul Biennial, known for its bold curatorial endeavors, provides the ideal platform for such an exploration, offering a distinctively Turkish lens on global artistic discourse.

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We are honored to curate the nineteenth edition of the Istanbul Biennial, an event known for many years as a platform that allows for very bold curatorial and artistic explorations. Today, as we navigate a space surrounded by harsh political fluctuations and algorithmic technologies, art finds itself stuck in an effort to alleviate our deep existential anxieties by directing them to distant horizons. The 19th Istanbul Biennial points to the necessity of a serious shift in focus. We want to set aside reactive commentary and escapism by taking refuge in technology, and instead recognize and embrace the possibilities of action unique to art and the individual. In this biennial, we aim to restore critical resilience and perceived grandeur to thought and art by confronting ourselves and the realities of our time, and to create a space where an independent and resilient future for artistic production can be not only imagined but also built.