Page 86 - ARTE!Brasileiros #41

WILD TALES ENGLISH VERSION

WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE of an art biennial in the midst To resist?
of an oppressive regime? In a difficult context, when after Yes, to resist, to seek alternatives. People don’t know even
a strange coup attempt, in 2016, Turkey went on to arrest after Gezi (massive protests in Taksim Gezi Square, in 2013),
dozens of intellectuals, journalists and academics, this was how it is possible to express opposition.
one of the recurring issues for artists and curators Elmgreen
& Dragset, responsible for the 15th Istanbul Biennial. Working The theme “a good neighbor” was already chosen, at that moment?
together since 1995, first in Denmark, then in Berlin, where Yes, he is less a theme and more a working tool, but had
they live since 1997, the Norwegian Ingar Dragset (1969) already been chosen and has become more relevant with
and the Danish Michel Elmgreen (1961) asked the Nobel the Brexit and with the wall promised in Trump’s campaign
Prize in literature Orhan Pamuk on the convenience of the on the border of Mexico. On the other hand, this name has
organisation of the biennial. to do with Turkey’s past, which is a history of coexistence in
Writer’s message was clear: “do not be frightened”. With diversity for centuries, of a society with many layers, which
it, according to Dragset, in an interview to ARTE!Brasileiros, contradicts the country’s present.
during the opening of the biennial, last September, the
curators sought to create a show that give “support for the In hard times like this, maybe the tendency is to be more documentary,
scene that exists here in Turkey, inspiring people again and to report, to denounce what is happening. But this biennial is the
suggest new forms of language production”. opposite of that., it is delicate and ambiguous, what might be possible
Entitled a good neighbor, the biennial brought together forms of resistance
56 artists from 32 countries, in six exhibition sites, from In moments like this, the first thing to do is to hear. However,
the Istanbul Modern museum to a modernist residence, the opposition is not very high, which is reflected in the work
which served as ground to the Proposal for a House of Turkish artists, which are more introspective, they do
Museum of an Unknown Crying Man, by the Egyptian more research, they are more poetic, which does not means
artist Mahmoud Khaled. This intimate surrounding, just that they are less important. Like the work of Volkan Aslan,
reverberate in several other areas of the exhibition commissioned for the Biennial, very representative of what
which, to Dragset, means that the moment now is to a many people, especially the young, feel, which is the desire
time inside. See why below. to return to day-to-day normality, rolling a cigarette, drink
some coffee, write a letter…
Dozens of journalists and academics are in jail, and the freedom of
expression is seriously endangered in Turkey. How is to organize a In fact there are many works dealing with home stability and instability,
Biennial in this context? like the paintings of Andrea Joyce Heimer, representing crazed homes
INGAR DRAGSET – We’ve been very insecure, to some degree, And we don’t know where this is going, all this insecurity is
if it would be possible or even if it’s relevant to make a not being felt only here, but in many parts of the world and
biennial in a situation like this. Right after the coup attempt we’re still thinking about how to react to all this stupidity of
that took place last year, what we did was put the traditional political leaders, the highest levels of international policy.
curatorial process in suspension, after all we needed to talk But for that we need to take our time, insist on our identities,
to local people about their vision of what happened, only our ways of expression, without being forced, as artists,
they would have an accurate reading of the facts. Then, intellectuals and academics, to respond fast as “hooligans”.
ten days after the attempted coup, we came to hear from
not just artists and curators, but journalists, politicians, And the Brazilian artist Victor Leguy, how did you get to his work
researchers, directors of institutions, academics and so To be honest, I’ve seen his work for the first time on Instagram
on, what they thought of the biennial, and if organize this (laughs). Besides him, I also found Andrea Joyce Heimer on
event would be relevant or not. We understand so, quickly, Instagram, but I’ve never been with her even though we
that the worst that could happen at that point, would be the have a lot of communications. With Victor, I got to go visit
break-up with the international community. Immediately him in São Paulo and soon after met him I realised I’d really
after the coup, there was a purge of intellectuals and like to work with him. He is an artist with so many levels, an
academics, threatened by the authorities, creating more artist that addresses social issues, uses readymades, which
fear and isolation. Writers like Orhan Pamuk, with whom is quite rare. This work he presents here, mixing objects that
we had a dinner that week, told us: “guys, please do not be he find with personal stories, is something that many do,
frightened (don’t chicken out)”, he told us in a very Nobel but the way he works, covering parts in white, is a great way
Prize way of expressing(laughs). to point out how society erases significant parts of culture,
We return, then, to Berlin more encouraged and start turns everything into almost the same thing, it’s almost a
over the curatorial project, thinking that the Biennial Scandinavian form of talk about monoculture
could be a way to keep the lines of communication open,
to give support to the scene that exists here in Turkey, Using Instagram in curatorial process is interesting, tell me more
inspiring people again and suggest new ways of language about this process
production, that has a lot to do with what you see here Were only two artists chosen by Instagram, but obviously we use
at the moment the internet for more information, galleries, site of institutions.