Izmir Mediterranean Biennial
11 September 2023 – 11 March 2024
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, in cooperation with K2 Contemporary Art Center, is organizing the first Izmir Mediterranean Biennial (IMB) between September 11, 2023 and March 11, 2024.
The first IMB is reserved for artists under the age of 35, with reference to the standards of the Biennial of Young Creators from Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM), of which Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is a member. IMB aims to open space for new forms of expression by emphasizing the “young”.
Conceptual Framework
“Looking at the Same Water”
If the sea is considered as a symbol for various levels of consciousness, how can societies living on the same waterfronts connect with these levels of collective consciousness through different perspectives and spatial relations? If these perspectives and forms of relationship are revealed in a common area, can the Mediterranean identity be evaluated through an objective reality?
The Mediterranean people have been looking at the same water for a very long time. It has been a dreamlike source of inspiration for ancient and contemporary cultures. Its turquoise waters are a major tank of marine biodiversity confronted with a delicate ecological balance.
Maybe now is a good time to see our reflections in the water. Perhaps recognizing one another through the clarity of the water will open a new space. As poet Edip Cansever puts in his poem “The Rest Remains”, winking at the Mediterranean, this space will set us free “like a boat freshly launched into the water”.
Structure of the Biennial
The first Izmir Mediterranean Biennial meets the audience in three phases:
▮ Gathering (September 11 – October 22, 2023)
The “artist-in-residence program“, in which young artists from the countries bordering the Mediterranean and artists from Türkiye are able to produce together, is held at K2 Urla Breathing Zone between 11 September and 22 October 2023 in 10-day programs. Thus, it is aimed to create an interactive art environment and contribute to the formation of a network among the participating artists. Young artists from the region affected by the February 6 earthquake in Türkiye are also invited to the program*. In this phase, the artists do not only produce their works, but also communicate with each other and the audience through various organizations.
▮ Incubation (October 23, 2023 – January 19, 2024)
In the second phase of the Izmir Mediterranean Biennial, between October 23, 2023 and January 19, 2024, the works of the artists produced during the Gathering phase are made ready for the exhibition.
▮ Exhibition (January 23 – March 11, 2024)
In the final phase, the exhibition process is organized between 23 January – 11 March 2024, in Kültürpark Atlas Pavilion.
* Following the exhibition phase, the works can be donated unconditionally to the collection of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality at the request of the participating artists. It is planned that the proceeds from the sale of these works will be used for the recovery of the earthquake region.