The role of art in the construction of public space: Istanbul biennials from 1987 to 2019

Abstract

This study focuses on the interaction of public space and art, and uses the Istanbul Biennale (1987–2019) as an example to explore the role of art in public space. This study firstly examines public space, art in public space, and public-art issues, and discusses the relationship between public space and art from the past to the present. With its layered and dynamic structure, the Biennale provides a rich space for examining this relationship. The Istanbul Biennial, during its 32-year history, where this relationship can be observed in a certain continuum, was chosen as the field of study. In this study, the distribution of the Istanbul-Biennial in the city, the types of venues used and the relationship between these venues are investigated. For the analysis, firstly, the discourses, themes and curatorial expansions of the 16 biennials were searched through literature and printed media. Secondly, the exhibition venues and their locations/distributions in the city were mapped separately. Eventually, it has been determined that the biennials, which were initially located in the historical city center of Istanbul, have gradually expanded their area and even started to evolve into an open-air exhibition spreading to the peripheries and distant parts of the city in recent years.