The 2nd Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial Has Begun
The official opening of the 2nd Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial, which features contemporary art events for children and young people, took place with a ceremony held on Friday 9 November at the Akatlar Mustafa Kemal Cultural Centre.
The second edition of the “Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial”, whose first edition was supported by the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, is being organised in collaboration with the Provincial Directorate of National Education and TEGV (Türkiye Eğitim Gönüllüleri Vakfı). The Biennial’s events are taking place from 9 to 23 November 2012 in Kadıköy Square, on Şehir Hatları ferries, at Şirket-i Hayriye Art Gallery, Kadıköy Merkez Art Gallery and Beşiktaş Municipality’s Mustafa Kemal Centre, with students from private and state schools in 39 districts of Istanbul and children from 25 provinces of Anatolia.
- The Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial comprises contemporary art practices and presentations in the visual arts disciplines, as well as panels, artist presentations, performances, video screenings, installations, workshops and stage performances featuring many different music groups. Aiming to host hundreds of student and teacher events and the individual works of around 5,000 students, the project offers children and young people an opportunity to express themselves, while also giving them a meaningful step in their art and education careers.
Speaking at the official opening, attended by many guests, Biennial Director Gazi Selçuk said: “We are very happy to be holding, for the second time this year, the Biennial that we first organised in Turkey with the support of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, and to give thousands of children and young people the opportunity to show their talents. Despite facing many setbacks this year, we are holding the Biennial. I don’t think there is another organisation of this size anywhere in the world that takes place without a sponsor. We met all our needs through the institutions we work with and our supporters. First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has supported us and contributed to the Biennial from start to finish.”
Speaking on behalf of the curators, Maria Sezer said: “The curators of the 2nd Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial are Gülçin Aksoy, faculty member at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University; artists and educators Leyla Sakpınar and Esra Çelikkanat; and myself.
This year’s theme, ‘Dream Child, Real Child’, was explored seriously and from many angles by the participants. In Turkey, with its very young population, the more people there are who use their imagination, the more hopeful we can be about the future, because dreams always bring about profound changes in our real lives. Starting from this idea and taking into account the experience gained from the first Biennial, we tried to come up with a concept through which our children could express their creativity and enjoy themselves.”
Speaking after Maria Sezer, Berna Çağatay, General Manager of Türkiye Eğitim Gönüllüleri Vakfı, shared her thoughts and feelings with the participants: “At TEGV, we believe that every child has a different talent, and we work to bring that talent out. Children taking part in the ‘Dreams Workshop’ and ‘Little Artists’ education programmes, which our Foundation runs in the field of ‘Art–Language–Communication’ to support children’s creativity, will be at the Biennial with their wonderful works. In these programmes, which cover all the disciplines of the visual arts, our children work with their volunteer ‘big sisters and brothers’ to create art while also developing life skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, self-confidence, communication and responsibility. This year, the works of a total of 75 children from 12 TEGV centres across Turkey will meet art lovers at the Biennial as part of the TEGV Exhibition.”
Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education Muammer Yıldız, who supported the Biennial on the administrative side by arranging permissions for teachers and students, said he was very happy to have given children an art platform on which to show their creativity. Underlining how important it is to lay the foundations of artistic work at an early age, Yıldız said: “We should give more support to events like this in our country. Through the Biennial, both our children and our young people will have the chance to express their creativity freely and to share their performances and the works they have produced with a wide audience.”
Beşiktaş Mayor İsmail Ünal, who highlighted the importance of art in his speech, said: “As Beşiktaş Municipality, we attach great importance to two things. Since the day we took office, we have been governing our city with ‘art’. We believe that art is the most important nourishment for modern societies. ‘Children’, meanwhile, are our future – the guarantee of our country and our republic. We are very proud to host the ‘Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial’, which brings children and art together.”
Advisory Board and Curators
Directed by Gazi Selçuk, the 2nd Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial is run by an advisory board made up of Istanbul Deputy Governor Harun Kaya; Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education Muammer Yıldız; TEGV General Manager Nurdan Şahin; TESEV Local Government Programme Coordinator Fikret Toksöz; Osman Kavala of Anadolu Kültür A.Ş.; Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University faculty member Gülçin Aksoy; Konya Provincial Director of National Education Şerafettin Turan; and artists and educators Leyla Sakpınar, Maria Sezer, Sonya Tanrısever, Esra Çelikkanat and Özcan Yurdalan.
Partner NGOs
İFSAK (İstanbul Fotoğraf Sinema Amatörleri Derneği), SKYGD (Sosyal Kültürel Yaşamı Geliştirme Derneği), CİSSTD (Ceza İnfaz Sisteminde Sivil Toplum Derneği), Çocuk Vakfı, Documentarist and TOG (Toplum Gönüllüleri Vakfı)
