The Biennial Effect (Reports: Letter from Istanbul‪)‬

Having just celebrated its 20th year, the Istanbul Biennial is one of the oldest and most well-known of the many global art biennials. Yet while the Istanbul Biennial is the object of widespread international press attention, other local art institutions receive far less exposure--easily leading to the impression that the biennial exists in a void of art activity. Until the late 90s, this assessment was not far off the mark: the biennial was the sole local, institutionalised outlet for contemporary art. In the past decade, however, the contemporary art scene has begun to expand at an increasing rate. Supported almost entirely by private capital, institutions like Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, the Istanbul Modern Art Museum, and Santral stanbul have taken the first steps towards establishing a range of exhibition spaces and residency programmes. A handful of independent artists' initiatives and commercial galleries fill out the picture. Though it is at present partially closed as it undergoes physical and institutional restructuring, Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center is the most prominent contemporary art venue in Istanbul. Founded in 2001 by curator Vasif Kortun, Platform's facilities include a library, open archive, and residency programme for international visiting artists, housed together on Istanbul's main shopping street, Istiklal Caddesi. (Platform's now-absent exhibition space will appear again when the institution reopens in 2009 under a new name.) By playing host to a yearly series of art events and international speakers throughout the past few years, Platform has positioned itself as a hub of local art world activity. But its role as a conduit for international visitors is equally as important: Kortun and his staff are the city's primary resource for artists, journalists, and others seeking to acquaint themselves with the local art scene.