The 11th International Istanbul Biennial takes its title from the song "Denn wovon lebt der Mensch?", translated into English as "What Keeps Mankind Alive?". The song closes the second act of the playThe Threepenny Opera, written in 1928 by Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann and Kurt Weill.

However, the aim is not to re-discover Brecht, or to present him as a classic for new generations. Rather, the conceptual framework of the 11th Istanbul Biennial proposes to begin re-thinking the past in terms of what has been lost in history. Moreover, it invites us to consider how art today harbours new potential in articulating the age-old relationship between art for social change and aesthetic gestures.

The 11th International İstanbul Biennial is curated by the curator collective What, How & For Whom (WHW), which has been operating from the city of Zagreb, Croatia, since 1999. WHW consists of four female curators: Ivet Ćurlin, Ana Dević, Nataša Ilić and Sabina Sabolović.

Venues:

Antrepo No.3
Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi
Liman İşletmeleri Sahası
Tophane

Feriköy Greek School
Abide-i Hürriyet Caddesi No.5
Şişli

Tütün Deposu (Tobacco Warehouse)
Lüleci Hendek Caddesi
Koltukçular Çıkmazı No.1
Tophane

(From press information)

Organizer:

Istanbul Biennial
Istanbul Foundation For Culture and Arts
Nejat Eczacıbaşı Binası
Sadi Konuralp Caddesi No:5
Şişhane 34433 İstanbul
Turkey
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