Not Only Possible, But Also Necessary: Optimism in the Age of Global War.
10th International İstanbul Biennial
September 8-November 4, 2007
Antrepo No.3
Transnational trading, border crossing, migration, global communication and new technologies are transforming almost every aspect of our life. At the same time, every individual is struggling to negotiate with the deconstruction of cultural memory, identity and values prompted by these radical transformations. A metropolis like İstanbul; situated between Europe and Asia, with a long and rich history of negotiating between different cultural, religious and political influences from both the West and the East, and endlessly expanding; perfectly incarnates this dynamism. It is a city of the in-between, of hybridity and, ultimately, the Multitude. It is an “Entre-Polis”.
Rainer Gahnal, Don’t Steal My Puma Bicycle, 2007
(PUMA bicycle, Kryptonite Chain, porcelain chain, bronze chain)
Antrepo No.3 as a site for the 10th International İstanbul Biennial is a condensed “Entre-Polis”: A collective action to claim for the total dissolution of the borders between art and urban life and it is a site for artists to investigate and experiment with the intensity of today’s metropolitan life, always in-between and on the move.
To function like a real city, the Antrepo space is designed as a kind of urban maze to reflect the labyrinth structure of İstanbul. It will host works by more than 50 artists from different parts of the world. Like the urban multitude, these artists are highly different personalities using different languages.
PENG Hung-Chi
“Face to Face”, 2001, fiber glass, LCD monitors, VCD players and speakers, various size
They are committed to explore a wide range of issues decisive for the making of our condensed “Entre-Polis”: urban transformation, global communication, migration, border-crossing travels, geopolitical conflicts, cultural memory, ethnic and religious differences, urban rebellion, manifestations and actions for social solidarity and even, love. Their artistic visions and gestures are always dynamic, performative and open to the participation of the public
