IBA Stage: 9th Çanakkale Biennial – History and Context

Meeting with Women of Canakkale (2014) as part of the 3rd Çanakkale Biennial. Courtesy Çanakkale Biennial

IBA Stage: 9th Çanakkale Biennial
November 29, 2024 (Friday)
3:00 pm (Çanakkale/GMT+3)

The upcoming edition of IBA Stage turns its focus to the Çanakkale Biennial, a landmark event in Turkey’s contemporary art scene and a vital part of its cultural fabric. Held for nearly two-decade-long, this biennial combines Çanakkale’s rich local heritage with global artistic narratives. The 9th edition, curated by the Biennial’s own team, reflects its enduring tradition of fostering inclusivity and dialogue under the evocative theme, Let Time Run its Course. Join us as we delve into the story and impact of this dynamic biennial, which continues to shape artistic conversations locally and internationally.

The Çanakkale Biennial Initiative – CABININ is a civil initiative active since 2008 and brings together various segments of society around contemporary art.

The conceptual frameworks created for the Çanakkale Biennial are centered around the intersection of values specific to Çanakkale with global contemporary issues. By inviting artists and art experts from around the world, it creates conditions for original and new productions.

The International Çanakkale Biennial, which situates Çanakkale within the international realm of contemporary art, thrives with enhanced vigour through the support and collaboration of various cultural and artistic institutions. TKD and CABININ consistently foster conceptual and spatial contexts for artists to create and disseminate art while cultivating productive relationships with diverse sectors, businesses, and disciplines—including archaeology, architecture, design, cinema, and literature—that the biennial has influenced, engaged, and mobilized over the years.

Besides its main event, the Çanakkale Biennial, TKD and CABININ has developed its institutional and spatial infrastructure with MAHAL Art (since 2013), and Studio MAHAL residency and art production centre (since 2022), allowing it to extend its diverse activities and international projects throughout the year.

Çanakkale Biennial has a structure that adopts the models and strategies of socialisation, rather than popularisation. Throughout its nearly twenty-year journey, it has accumulated ideas and experiences on how contemporary art can interact with different segments of society. Social programmes focusing on children, youth, women and people with dissabilities aim to ensure that these groups actively interact with contemporary art and cultural productions, and that their demands, productions and expectations in this context can be shared with wider audiences. In addition, it creates the conditions for their productive energies to find expression in the public sphere by drawing inspiration from the intellectual, symbolic and formal processes of art.

Since 2014, the Çanakkale Biennial has been a member of the International Biennial Association (IBA). In 2015, CABININ was awarded the Corporate Honor Award at the Istanbul Tüyap Artist International Art Fair, and in 2020, it was honored with the Periodic Events Award within the scope of the Anatolian Awards organized by the BAKSI Foundation. In 2022 CABININ is honored on UCLG – MEXICO CITY – CULTURE 21 International Award’s “Best Practices” for its achievements in building a “Contemporary Art Habitat for Sustainable Civil Society”.

To have the possibility to hear and discuss with the individuals behind biennials has been a key component of what we believe IBA can offer to our members and the wider public and we value your participation through our live streams. As always IBA Stage events are meant as a moment to hear about a project through its makers and have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session at the end of the presentation.

Click here to register for the event!

Stay connected with us through our social media channels for updates and further details.