‘Who is the decision maker’? Artists and curators push for transparency in wake of Istanbul Biennial curator row

More than 80 artists and curators have signed an open letter calling on the Istanbul Foundation For Culture and the Arts (İKSV) to disclose the selection procedure for appointing the curator of the Istanbul Biennial. The move comes following the controversy regarding the appointment of Iwona Blazwick as curator of the next edition of the biennial due to launch in September 2024.
The letter, which has been posted on Instagram, says: “We call on İKSV to adopt legitimate and transparent practices. The Biennial has yet to address the following topics and criticism: Who is the decision maker at the Istanbul Biennial?” İKSV was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
Most of the signatories have participated in previous editions of the Istanbul Biennial; they include the Chinese art critic Hou Hanru who curated the tenth Istanbul Biennial in 2007, the German artist Hito Steyerl who took part in the 13th edition in 2013 and numerous Turkish artists such as Elmas Deniz whose works were shown in both the 14th and 16th editions of the biennial. The Indonesian collective ruangrupa, curators of Documenta 15 (2022), have also signed the letter.
“We, the undersigned participants of the previous Istanbul Biennials and members of the arts community, call on İKSV to respond to the recent criticisms and take the necessary steps in light of its public mandate,” the letter says.
In February, the Istanbul Biennial’s advisory board unanimously chose the Turkish curator Defne Ayas as the best candidate to curate the next biennial. But the IKSV, a private foundation which administers the show, rejected the board’s recommendation and instead appointed Blazwick, former director of the Whitechapel Gallery. At the time of her selection, Blazwick was a serving member of the advisory panel tasked with choosing a curator for the biennial.
Critics believe that Ayas was judged too risky by the foundation. They cite her curation of an exhibition by Sarkis for the Turkish Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale. A catalogue accompanying the show included an essay written by Rakel Dink, the widow of the Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink who was assassinated in Istanbul in 2007. In her text, Dink made a passing reference to the “Armenian genocide”.
The open letter asks: “If the Istanbul Biennial advisory board does not have de facto authority as declared by the institution, why have some of the members of the advisory board resigned after the selection process that resulted in the appointment of one of the serving advisory board members? Why has the public not been informed of how the curator selection took place?” Agustín Pérez Rubio, Selen Ansen, and Sarkis resigned following the selection of Blazwick.
“We invite İKSV to fulfil its obligations by adopting better accountability and responsiveness based on merit, fairness, and honesty,” conclude the letter signatories.

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