Art biennial aims to reach children and youth

ISTANBUL

The biennial includes contemporary practices and arrangements of plastic arts, artist presentations, video projections, workshops and others for children.

Turkey’s largest children and youth art event, the 3rd Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial will be organized between May 15 and June 16. The first edition of the event was organized with the support of the Istanbul European Capital of Culture.

The biennial was created for students and children to take part in contemporary art, to learn how to use different materials, techniques and disciplines and to give them a platform to introduce their own works to audiences.

This year, the theme of the biennial is designated “Small Is Good.” Through a variety of art disciplines, the aim is to enable children and young people to develop new perspectives, think and imagine without borders.

The biennial will include a number of activities such as contemporary practices and arrangements of plastic arts, artist presentations, performances, video projections, workshops, panels, conversations and concerts.

The biennial also aims to contribute to the forming of arts education policies, which will enable all children to reach high-quality art education and bring Turkey’s social and artistic development to higher levels, said Istanbul Children and Youth Art Biennial Director Gazi Selçuk.

Selçuk also said they also gave priority to children’s rights in this year’s biennial. “Throughout the week, hundreds of adults, artists, children and young people will try to raise awareness of this issue with their creations,” he said.

People from 48 cities such as Kastamonu, İzmir, Ankara, Afyon, Van, Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, Hakkari, Erzincan, Giresun and Mardin, and other countries will take part in the biennial.

All activities will be free of charge in venues throughout Istanbul including Beşiktaş’s
Mustafa Kemal Center (MKM), the Karaköy port, various city ferries, the Şirket-i Hayriye Art Gallery, SALT Galata, Kadıköy’s Rıhtım Square and Doğuş University.