ArtDog Istanbul September - October 2025
“GAZA BIENNIAL ISTANBUL PAVILION”

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

September isn't just a calendar start for Istanbul; it's the reviving heart of culture and art. In this issue, we follow three main axes that shape the city's rhythm:
The Gaza Biennial – Istanbul Pavilion, opening at Depo; the 18th Istanbul Biennial, with its three-year model; and Contemporary Istanbul, celebrating its 20th anniversary. Each one goes beyond exhibitions and touches upon the need for social memory, ethical responsibility, and solidarity.
The Gaza Biennial's Istanbul Pavilion, with contributions from artists such as A Cloud in My Hand, Alfredo Jaar, and Walid Raad, explores ways to create and foster solidarity in the face of war and destruction. The Istanbul Biennial, titled "Three-Legged Cat," breaks conventional patterns with its structure spanning from 2025 to 2027. It establishes a space for thought and discussion spanning time. In its 20th year at Tersane Istanbul, Contemporary Istanbul brings together both past and present in the same memory with works ranging from Alexander Calder to Julie Mehretu.

In this issue, we also feature the idea of "ZERO," conceived in partnership with humans and artificial intelligence. ZERO is conceived as a model that prioritizes truth, can monitor its own consistency, and can make contradictions visible. This concept, which maintains its integrity even under pressure, actually reminds us of the role of art today: to make the invisible visible, to enable questioning, and to serve as a compass in moments of crisis.

This is precisely where the excitement of the new season lies. Biennials, fairs, and pavilions invite not only to look, but to see; not only to watch, but to participate.

This autumn, art will once again be our most powerful language, taking the pulse of the city and simultaneously embodying fragility and resilience.

Şebnem Kırmacı - Editor-in-Chief of ArtDog Istanbul

Cover: Yasmeen Al Daya, Hayatt, kiln clay, variable sizes, 2024. Presented as a diasec print by the Istanbul Pavilion. ©Yasmeen Al Daya. Courtesy of the artist and House of Taswir.
Cover Design: Burcu Ocak

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