5,250 children and young people from 12 countries come together in Istanbul for ‘hope’.
The 7th Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial has begun. The concept of this year’s Biennial, which is held every two years, is ‘Hope’. As part of the Biennial, 579 projects by 5,250 children and young people will be exhibited at different venues across Istanbul for a month.
The 7th Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial, which has welcomed participants from 31 countries since 2010, has officially opened. At this seventh edition, 579 projects by 5,250 young artists are on display. MKM Beşiktaş Çağdaş has been chosen as the main venue of the month-long event, while the second exhibition venue, İstiklal Art Gallery, also presents works by children and young people on the theme of ‘hope’ as part of the Biennial. Alongside these two venues, the Kadıköy and Beşiktaş pier squares and Şehir Hatları ferries will once again host concerts and performances by young people…
Organised by Palet Culture, Art and Education Association (PALETDER), the Biennial is curated by Esra Özkan, who has been behind many firsts in the field of digital art. The concept of the 7th Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial this year is ‘hope’. While hosting painting, sculpture, photography, installation and performance works as in previous years, the Biennial also welcomes works in fields added this year, such as maker projects, artificial intelligence and digital arts.
Participants from 12 Countries This Year
Biennial Director Gazi Selçuk, who noted that this year’s Biennial, running until 23 May, has participants from 12 countries including the United Kingdom, Romania, Italy and Russia, said in his speech at the opening event: “This year we are exhibiting creative art projects by children and young people from 25 cities and 12 different countries at five different venues in Istanbul. Hundreds of creative art projects with richly varied content are meeting art lovers – not only painting, sculpture and photography projects, but also works using new media, digital art, installation and artificial intelligence.”
A Comprehensive Biennial Programme Awaits You
This year, special projects were carried out with children and young people in the earthquake zone. A rich Biennial Programme has also been prepared for the month-long Biennial, with workshops, talks, panels and events led by hundreds of artists, actors, scientists, academics and educators who are experts in their fields.
In collaboration with NGOs, museums, universities and artists, 177 workshops, talks and events will take place in fields such as science, art, literature, creative writing, digital media, technology, climate, the environment, education, climate justice, music and stage performance.
The Biennial events are also a source of nourishment for teachers: by hosting representatives of the changing and evolving education models around the world through seminars and workshops, the Biennial supports teachers in their professional development.
The programme includes nearly 200 workshops, talks, performances and events of various kinds and content with many artists, academics and educators who are experts in their fields, including İsmail Acar, Devrim Erbil, Süleyman Saim Tekcan, Dilan Bozyel, Seren Fosforoğlu, Abdülkadir Özbek, Esra Karagülle, Nihan Aslı Elmas, Murat Germen, Selçuk Artut, Leyla Emadi, Bekir Aksoy, Asil Aksoy, Murat Aygen, Gülveli Kaya, Bengisu Bayrak, Süreyya Evren, Yekta Kopan, Seydi Murat Koç and Şevket Sönmez.
You can follow the events on the website http://www.cocukgenclikbienal.org/ and on Instagram at @cocukgencliksanatbienali, and attend them free of charge.
The Biennial Team
The Biennial, organised by Palet Culture, Art and Education Association, is directed by art educator Gazi Selçuk, who has been involved in many major international projects, and curated by Esra Özkan, who leads international projects in the field of digital arts. The Biennial team comprises General Coordinators Nur Bardakçı and Yeliz İşanç Arapoğlu; Programme Coordinator Yeliz İşanç Arapoğlu; Communications Coordinator Yener Yalçın; Performance Coordinator Başak Salihler Gülbir; Design Coordinator Gül Çetin; Field Operations Coordinator Arzu Efel; Social Media Manager Aslı Karabulut; and, in International Relations, Noshid Mirzaei and Elisa Sassera.
The applications from 20,000 children were evaluated by an academic committee of experts. The Biennial Evaluation Committee includes Ahval Ateş, Alev Cınbarcı, Banu Atik, Çetin Akmeşe, Delal Kazıcı, Dicle Gurban, Duysal Aylin Alkan, Ece Dalkıran, Enis Kalpak, Emine Yıldırım Şencan, Esra Çelikkanat, Gözde Tito, Kader Akçay, Melike Yakarer, Mustafa Duymaz, Nur Bardakçı, Noshid Mirzaei, Oya Mete Yener, Sarah Clarkson Spoors, Seda Aydın, Sevda Akış, Dr Seyit Mehmet Buçukoğlu, Tülin Cabuk and Yıldız Canlıca Yıldız, with Kader Akçay as Fine Arts High Schools Coordinator.
The Biennial Advisory Board is made up of world-renowned figures, including State Artist and former Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University faculty member Prof. Dr. Devrim Erbil; Boğaziçi University faculty member Prof. Dr. Sevda Bekman; EU programmes adviser and former district governor Fikret Toksöz; businessman and DASİFED board member Faruk Ekinci; artist İsmail Acar; artist and Marmara University faculty member Zeynep Öztürk; art educator Maria Sezer; and academic and art director Gizem Pamukçu.
Full Support from Institutions
The institutions supporting this year’s Biennial, organised by PALETDER (Palet Culture, Art and Education Association), are: AÇEV (Anne Çocuk Eğitim Vakfı), Akbank Sanat, Aktif Yaşam Derneği, Altı Nokta Körler Vakfı, Altınbaş Üniversitesi, Arçelik, Arkki Türkiye – Türkiye Tasarım Vakfı, Arter, Asset Studio, Atatürk Kültür Merkezi, Atık Nakit, Atölye Tohum, Atta Festival, Babil Toplum Kültür Sanat Çalışmaları Derneği, Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi, Beltaş A.Ş., Beykoz Üniversitesi, Beyoğlu Belediyesi, BIC, Bilfen Okulları, Bilge Ağaç Orman Okulu, Bilim Kahramanları Derneği, Bizim Dünyamız Vakfı, Black Crow Art, Borusan Contemporary, Borusan Sürdürülebilir Fayda Programı, Bursa İl MEM, Crypto Female, Contrario Art Sanat, Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği, Çocukla Yaratıcı Çocuk Atölyeleri, Çocuk ve Gençlik Yayınları Derneği, DC Art, Dönüşüm Derneği, Eğitim Sanatı Dostları Derneği, Elifce Sanat Atölyeleri, Enka Okulları, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf Üniversitesi, Fikir Değirmeni Girişimcilik Merkezi, Fikri Mahsul, Fridays For Future (climate activists), Gelecek Nesil Soroptimist Kulübü, Golden Horn FRC Team, Habitat Derneği, Hatay İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü, Hayata Destek Derneği, Hayata Renk Ver Derneği, Herkes İçin Mimarlık, Hope Alkazar, Hip Hop Türkiye, İFSAK, İMOGA İstanbul Grafik Sanatlar Müzesi, Impact Hub, İndi Oyuncak, İstanbul İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü, İstanbul Modern Sanat Müzesi, İstanbul Vakfı, İstanbul İZEV (Zihinsel Engelliler İçin Eğitim ve Dayanışma Vakfı), KAÇUV (Kanserli Çocuklara Umut Vakfı), Kadıköy Atölye, Kırmızı Biber Derneği, Kocaeli Üniversitesi, Kronik Çocuk, Marmara Üniversitesi, Masallar Deryası, MKM Beşiktaş Çağdaş, Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı Mahir Başer İlkokulu, MOMENTUM İletişim, Monomit Film, Musiki Eğitim Vakfı, Mülteciler Derneği, SGDD-ASAM, Nesin Vakfı, Öğretmen Ağı, ÖRAV (Öğretmen Akademisi Vakfı), Parıltı Görmeyen Çocuklara Destek Derneği, Pera Müzesi, Primat Atölye, P4C Türkiye, Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi, Sarıyer Açı Ortaokulu, Sıfırdan Yayınları, Soroptimist Kadınlar Derneği Nexgen Kulübü, Stemist Lab, Sürdürülebilirlik Adımları Derneği, Şehir Hatları A.Ş., Talebeyiz Biz Derneği, Tasarım Gezginleri, Teşkilat ICOM, Techlondo, Tomurcuk Kooperatifi, TOG (Toplum Gönüllüleri Vakfı), Türkiye Spina Bifida Derneği İstanbul Şubesi, Yalova İranlılar Kültür Derneği, Yeditepe Üniversitesi, With You Foundation…
