The Turner Prize nominated artists Elmgreen & Dragset have taken inspiration from the 10 films nominated for the program at the 36th Istanbul Film Festival, which will be collaborating with the 15th Istanbul Biennial.
This year’s edition of the Festival will concentrate on an extensive film programme which relates to the biennial’s title and theme: “a good neighbour”. Elmgreen & Dragset (Michael Elmgreen, dr.h.c. and Ingar Dragset, dr.h.c.) are an artist duo who have worked together since 1995. Their artistic practice spans many genres, including installation, sculpture, performance, and theater. The duo said; “In light of the current global geopolitical situation, in which we’re experiencing a new rise of nationalism, it will be important for us to curate a biennial based on collaborative efforts and processes. Collaboration is something that feels natural to us since we have been working together as an artist duo for more than twenty years. A biennial can be a platform for dialogue and a format in which diverse opinions, perspectives, and communities can coexist.”
“In light of the current global geopolitical situation, in which we’re experiencing a new rise of nationalism” – E&D
“There is nothing like the medium of film when it comes to visual storytelling, and as we know, good storytelling often includes moral conundrums that are important to understanding who we are and the societies we live in”, says artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset, curators of the 15th Istanbul Biennial.
The 15th Istanbul Biennial takes place from 16 September – 12 November 2017 and deals with the multiple notions of home and neighbourhoods, exploring how living modes in our private spheres have changed throughout the past decades. The biennial will approach home as an indicator of diverse identities and a vehicle for self-expression, and neighbourhood as a micro-universe exemplifying some of the challenges that are faced in terms of co-existence today.
The biennial’s title “a good neighbour” also inspires the curators’ selection of ten feature films and five shorts which will be presented to the public as part of the 36th Istanbul Film Festival taking place from 5 – 15 April 2017.
All of the films are characterised by very different dynamics between the protagonists and their homes and neighbourhoods – without judgment regarding whether one or the other can be seen as “a good neighbour”. “This particular selection of films”, the curators point out, “is meant to open the horizon towards the biennial exhibition that is to come.”
Photo: Paul Carter Robinson © Artlyst 2017