The Istanbul Biennial
Vintage is the new vanguard
Most art biennials are incoherent and exhausting. Istanbul’s is an exception
Sep 24th 2011 | ISTANBUL | from the print edition
VIRTUALLY every day of the year sees another art biennial opening somewhere in the world. The role of these exhibitions is to showcase contemporary art, attract affluent tourists and stimulate local culture. Most biennials are a sprawling mess—and the worst look like commercial art fairs studded with brand-name trophies. However, those that succeed in making sense of some aspect of global culture can be both enlightening and memorable. This year’s Istanbul Biennial, which opened on September 17th and runs for almost two months, is a case in point. Poignant, relevant and intellectually engaging, it has managed to create a coherent exhibition out of works by 130 artists from 41 countries—a rare achievement.
More:The Istanbul Biennial: Vintage is the new vanguard | The Economist