In this talk, the feminist activist Arzu Yayıntaş will question the gender bias of Biennials and International exhibitions through the feminist approach of the 15th Istanbul Biennial and make a feminist reading of the Biennial, “A Good Neighbour".
Together with the audience, through the alternative definitions of an exhibition with a feminist approach, the conversation will focus on coming up with an answer to the question, “Why do we need a feminist biennale?” and examine the visibility of women artists in international exhibitions and art institutions in Turkey and around the World. Through the questions of, what would organising big international exhibitions like a biennial with a feminist point of view mean and what kind of change would such an approach bring to the art world, alternative methods of making exhibitions will be discussed.
Artists will also be invited to the talk, to share their experiences in the question and answer section. The names of the participating artists will be announced later.
Arzu Yayıntaş is a feminist, activist, writer and artist, producing works in the field of contemporary art. Since 2002, she has been a co-curator and participant in various international art projects realised by non-profit art institutions and in public spaces. After working at Proje4L-Istanbul Museum of Contemporary Art and Santralistanbul, she worked as the artistic exhibition manager of the 11th International Istanbul Biennial. She was the co-curator of Istanbul Pedestrian Exhibitions 2: Tünel - Karaköy, the 2nd International Antakya Biennial “Thank you for your understanding”, Akbank Sanat “30th Contemporary Artists Exhibition”, “İflah Olmaz / Impenitent” and “Bize Ait Bir Oda / A Room of Our Own”. The recent projects she participated in as an artist include, “Acı Kahve / Bitter Coffee” public space installation, “İflah Olmaz / Impenitent” and “Kayıpta Saklı / Hidden in Loss” exhibitions, as well as activist projects, and workshops such as, “Bize Ait Bir Oda / A Room of Our Own”. In her artistic production, Yayıntaş focuses on gender inequality, social transformations and ecological destruction with a feminist point of view, and mostly works on artistic projects that combine art and activism, that blur the boundary between the two, and question traditional means of making an exhibition.
Arzu Yayıntaş lives and works in Istanbul.