History

Established in 1895, La Biennale di Venezia has for over a century been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world.

Türkiye participated in the International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia for the first time in 1991 within the framework of a national participation, with the personal efforts of Beral Madra, and with the contributions of Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Beral Madra was the curator and the commissioner of the exhibitions between 1991 and 2001.

In 2003, the Türkiye Pavilion was initiated with a temporary exhibition space rented with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye. The first Türkiye Pavilion, curated and commissioned by Beral Madra, presented the exhibition in Limbo with the participation of Gül Ilgaz, Ergin Çavuşoğlu, Neriman Polat, Nazif Topçuoğlu and Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

In 2005, the video work Absent Presence by Hüseyin Çağlayan featuring Tilda Swinton was exhibited in Palazzo Levi, in the Türkiye Pavilion at the 51st International Art Exhibition. The Pavilion was curated by Beral Madra and coordinated by Murat Pilevneli.

İKSV’s role in the Türkiye Pavilion

Since assuming responsibility for the coordination of the Türkiye Pavilion in 2007, İKSV has ensured Türkiye’s regular participation in La Biennale di Venezia alongside other national pavilions. In its early years, the Pavilion was organised only for the International Art Exhibitions, using temporary exhibition venues. In 2014, through İKSV’s initiative and with the contributions of 21 supporters, the Türkiye Pavilion acquired a permanent venue at the Arsenale, one of the Biennale’s two main sites. This development enabled Türkiye to participate in the International Architecture Exhibitions on an alternating basis with the International Art Exhibitions.

As the commissioner of the Pavilion, İKSV brings together institutional and individual support each year to provide the necessary resources for the invited artists and architects to develop their works under the best possible conditions. İKSV is responsible for establishing the exhibition team; facilitating collaborations with various workshops, institutions, and individuals during the research and production processes; preparing the exhibition publication; and promoting the exhibition nationally and internationally.

In order to ensure that the Türkiye Pavilion exhibitions independently reflect the diversity and current ideas in contemporary art and architecture in Türkiye, İKSV determines the invited curators, artists, and architects through structured selection processes. For the International Art Exhibitions, since 2017, selections have been made upon the recommendation of an advisory board. For the International Architecture Exhibitions, since 2018, selections have been made by a jury working through a two-stage open call process. The members of these boards and juries change every two years, with particular attention given to ensuring broad and up-to-date representation from relevant professional fields such as curators, arts administrators, artists, architects, and critics. The content of the exhibition is shaped entirely by the invited curators, artists, and architects.

For detailed information on the Türkiye Pavilions commissioned by İKSV, click here.