Acclaimed Turkish artist Ayşe Erkmen has been commissioned to create a permanent new sculptural work for the 17th Istanbul Biennial, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and in cooperation with the 2007–2036 Biennial Sponsor Koç Holding, unveiled on Monday 24 October 2022.
Known for her site- and situation-specific, and context-sensitive work, both in Turkey and worldwide, Ayşe Erkmen’s commission Golden Horn in the Golden Horn is informed by the mysterious and dynamic form of The Golden Horn, the primary inlet of the Bosphorus in Istanbul.
Located in Akşemsettin Park between Balat Hospital and the ferry dock, Golden Horn in the Golden Horn resembles a floating island that glimmers like gold, reflecting The Golden Horn in the setting sun. Positioned at a certain distance from the shore, within the field of view of passing ships and the shipyard, the sculpture invites us to contemplate the roles of water, geography, production and the memory of urban spaces within our daily lives.
Since its 15th edition in 2017, the Istanbul Biennial has invited an artist to present a permanent artwork in the public space for each edition, in cooperation with the 2007–2036 Biennial Sponsor Koç Holding. The first commission in 2017, the neon-light sculpture Where Do We Go From Here? by Ugo Rondinone was installed at the Mustafa Kemal Cultural Centre. In 2019, Monster Chetwynd’s Gorgon’s Head Playground, inspired by the heads of Medusa that were discovered in the city’s 6thcentury Basilica Cistern, was installed in the city’s Maçka Sanat Park.
Ayşe Erkmen: “The interesting shape of Haliç, known as ‘Golden Horn’ in foreign languages, reminds me of a ship, a gondola or a strangely shaped boat, even a smoke. It is said that when combined with the reflected golden sun in the evening, it received the name of the golden horn. This shape is actually a contour, an outline. I wanted to fill in this line, create a place, a space, and position it on the Golden Horn.”
Bige Örer: “Ayşe Erkmen is changing the way we see the city and the public space with her works of art. With her new work, Golden Horn in the Golden Horn, she invites us to think about Istanbul’s deep connection with water and its geographical and historical memory in different layers. This simple but dazzling work that reflects the light of every moment of the day, which we placed among the trees in Akşemsettin Park between Balat Hospital and Balat Docks, turns our perception of geography upside down. I am very happy to be realising this work together with Ayşe Erkmen as a new commission of the Istanbul Biennial.”
İKSV Chairperson Bülent Eczacıbaşı: “One of our most important goals at the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts is supporting artistic production and contributing to efforts to infuse our city with culture and art. For this reason, we are delighted to continue the tradition we started in 2017 of offering Istanbul a permanent installation during each biennial. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Koç Holding, our 2007-2036 Biennial Sponsor, for their support in enriching our city with this site-specific work by Ayşe Erkmen, one of Turkey’s leading contemporary artists.”
Koç Holding Chairman of the Board Ömer M. Koç: “The Istanbul Biennial provides invaluable contributions to our country’s cultural and artistic life. It is most propitious that it both reinforces our desire to give rise to a more liveable planet and also draws on collective wisdom, generates solutions, and opens up spaces for free expression. For its part, by sponsoring the event, Koç Holding has undertaken to support the expansion of these critically important spaces, and ensure that the biennial can be visited free of charge, so that large audiences may have the opportunity to access contemporary art. Today, when I announced that our sponsorship which was set to cover the period from 2007 to 2026 would be extended until 2036, the favorable comments received in response reaffirmed the magnitude of the demand we are aiming to meet. In 2017, we decided that with every biennial, we would donate to Istanbul a public work of art, essentially making an artistic offering to the city. Thus, that year, world-famous artist Ugo Rondinone’s neon sculpture titled ‘Where do we go from here?’ was installed at the Mustafa Kemal Cultural Centre, situated on the road leading to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge; and in 2019, Monster Chetwynd’s open-air installation ‘Gorgon’s Playground’ was placed in Maçka Art Park, both as permanent works. This year, in the context of the 17th Istanbul Biennial, we are thrilled to be offering the city a public work of art for the third time. Titled ‘Golden Horn in the Golden Horn’ and presented by our beloved artist Ayşe Erkmen, who is a constant source of pride with her outstanding successes and the commendable manner in which she represents our country on a global level, we hope this work will ensure that the vibrancy that the biennial spreads through the world of art and Istanbul, and the inspirational traces it leaves in the city will remain forever.”
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