On the initiation of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and with the gracious support of 21 sponsors, Turkey is obtaining a long-term venue in the Venice Biennale, one of world's leading contemporary art and architecture events. The allotment of 20 years (from 2014 to 2034) at Arsenale, one of the two main venues of the event, will allow the Pavilion of Turkey to take part for the first time this year in the International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia.
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts will be the coordinator of the Pavilion of Turkey that will take part in the Venice Biennale's both International Art Exhibition and Architecture Exhibition for the next 20 years. İKSV has already been coordinating the Pavilion of Turkey at the International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, since 2007.
The sponsoring persons and institutions that have contributed in providing Turkey with a permanent venue in the Venice Biennale include Akbank, Mehveş-Dalınç Arıburnu, Nezih Barut, Ali Raif Dinçkök, Vuslat Doğan Sabancı, Füsun-Faruk Eczacıbaşı, Oya-Bülent Eczacıbaşı, Enka Foundation, Nesrin Esirtgen, Eti Gıda San. ve Tic. AŞ, Kadir Has University, Öner Kocabeyoğlu, MAÇAKIZI, Tansa Mermerci Ekşioğlu, Polimeks İnşaat, SAHA Association, Taha Tatlıcı, T. Garanti Bankası AŞ, Vehbi Koç Foundation, Zafer Yıldırım, and Yıldız Holding AŞ.
The 14th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Rem Koolhaas, will be held from 7 June to 23 November 2014. The biennale, entitled "Fundamentals", will feature a number of country pavilions in Giardini and Arsenale, besides the main exhibition.
The details regarding the participation of the Pavilion of Turkey in the 14th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia will be announced in the upcoming days.
VENICE BIENNALE 55th INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
The 55th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, ran from 1 June to 24 November 2013. The Pavilion of Turkey in the Artigliere, Arsenale presented Ali Kazma's video series "Resistance" under the curatorship of Emre Baykal. The Venice Biennale, which featured 88 country pavilions including Turkey, besides curator Massimiliano Gioni's main exhibition entitled "The Encyclopaedic Palace", was visited by over 475,000 people during the six months it was open.
The Pavilion of Turkey is organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, sponsored by FIAT and Vehbi Koç Foundation and realised under the auspices of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Republic of Turkey, with the contribution of the Promotion Fund of the Turkish Prime Ministry. SAHA Association gave support to the production of Ali Kazma's video series "Resistance".
The curator of the Turkish Pavilion in the 56th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, will be announced by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts in 2014.
