212 Photography Istanbul across the city
ISTANBUL
The international photography event 212 Photography Istanbul will welcome art lovers at different venues around the city starting from today until Oct. 11.
The festival expands across Istanbul, including numerous venues both on the Asian and European sides. These include some of the most important historical and cultural heritage buildings and cultural centers, such as Yapı Kredi bomontiada, Akaretler Sıraevler A 37-39, Zülfaris Karaköy, the Historical Hüsrev Kethüda Bath, Yeldeğirmeni Art Center and Museum Gazhane and Kalyon Kültür.
Organized in cooperation with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Culture Department and Kültür AŞ, 212 Photography Istanbul presents the most comprehensive program of events to date, including workshops, interviews, artist talks, film screenings, performances/dance shows, pop-up concerts, portfolio reviews and a photography competition, in parallel with the exhibition program this year.
The festival presents international artists, interdisciplinary events and a special exhibition dedicated to the Olympics. Many renowned international photographers, including Levon Biss, Tim Flach, Christian Tagliavini, Scarlett Hooft Graafland, Helena Blomqvist, Jonas Bendiksen, Esra Özdoğan, Hasan Deniz, JeeYoung Lee, Diana Artus, Rosa Muñoz, LIA, Thomas Albdorf and Modi are participating in the fourth edition of 212 Photography Istanbul.
A special exhibition, held as a tribute to the 2020 Olympic Games, will feature the works of renowned photographers in this field. The exhibition will reflect the excitement of the Olympic Games and present very special frames reflected through the lenses of David Burnett, Chris Mcgrath and Mine Kasapoğlu. This special section will also include the exhibition of the state-run Anadolu Agency’s 2020 Olympic Games photography selection.
Presenting an exhibition of artworks from the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection, the festival will also host two special exhibitions: “LIA: Coding Life” and “Far/Nearby.”
The exhibition titled “Another Apocalypse is Possible” brings together important artists of the international contemporary art scene represented by the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection. Curated by Leyla Ünsal, the exhibition brings into question the possibilities of reconnecting humans with nature, history and life.
“LIA: Hayatı Kodlamak,” on display at Kalyon Kültür, is the first exhibition of the festival in the field of new media. Considered one of the pioneers of early software and internet art, Austrian artist Lia focuses on digital art, interactive installations and sound art.
The exhibition “Far/Nearby,” presenting images from Turkey and from around the world, brings together a rich selection ranging from Bilecik to Sri Lanka. Having made significant contributions to the cultural and artistic map of Istanbul through different collaborations, 212 Photography Istanbul is also presenting a special film selection for the festival with MUBI Turkey this year.
The special selection includes a total of 12 films by the directors Agnès Varda, Barış Azman, Carl Olsson, Ely Dagher, Heinz Emigholz, Jalil Lespert, Jonas Mekas, Joris Ivens, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Karim Aïnouz, Man Ray, Pere Portabella and Wim Wenders, which can be watched free of charge on the MUBI platform.
The festival will also feature a special video selection in collaboration with NOWNESS, the video content platform that features the works of talented artists from around the world in the field of new media. Prepared in line with the curatorial expertise of the platform, the videos that are a source of inspiration in many fields, including art, design, fashion and music, will meet art lovers from Istanbul as part of 212 Photography Istanbul.
Also, the festival’s event program will include two panels and one workshop on architecture and photography. In the first panel, Hasan Çalışlar and Metin Çavuş will discuss documenting the “Mehmet Ali Bey Palangası,” a farm in Erzincan owned by artist and film director Kutluğ Ataman.
The panel, which will also be available online, will address the discipline of architectural photography as a means of getting across a constructed environment. Taking part in the panel discussion will be Ömer Kapınak and Orhan Kolukısa from the Yerçekimi team, and Associate Professor Burak Altınışık from the Pamukkale University’s Faculty of Architecture and Design.
The workshop will cover the story and photo shooting process of the Museum Gazhane, which newly opened its doors to Istanbul’s culture and art life. The story of the museum will be told by Gülsün Tanyeli, a faculty member at the Istanbul Technical University’s Department of Architecture, and Özgür Boran, who has been leading the formation process of the Museum Gazhane.
The workshop will take place with the participation of Tomas Hetmanek.
The festival will be visited for free. This year’s supporters of the festival include the Dutch consulate general, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Norwegian Embassy in Ankara, the Institut Français Turquie, the Istanbul Cervantes Institute, Goethe Institut, Beşiktaş and Kadıköy Municipalities.