With the theme "Before All Runs Out: Cosmos of New Values," the 9th Sinop Biennial invites all art lovers to its exhibition opening on October 11. The biennial can be visited until October 31 at various locations throughout Sinop, including the Sinop Hal Meeting Center, Sinop Buzhane Building (Sabahattin Ali Cultural Center), and the Sinop Historical Prison, with more venues to be announced soon.
Sinopale 9, the Ninth International Sinop Biennial, under the theme "Before All Runs Out: Cosmos of New Values," calls on art enthusiasts to redefine values that we must rediscover before they disappear. The production phase of the biennial will begin on September 23, and the exhibitions will be open to the public for free from October 11 to October 31.
This year's Sinopale theme, "Before All Runs Out: Cosmos of New Values," invites both individuals and communities to become aware of their impact on the world and emphasizes the necessity of reflecting on new systems of values for a sustainable future. Rather than inventing judgments from scratch, the biennial aims to reinterpret values that have existed for millennia in the collective memory of humanity, focusing on nature. It seeks to open a discussion on the values we have instrumentalized without even realizing it today. Under this theme, the possibilities of building a different ethical and aesthetic system in an era when nature and human values have reached a breaking point are explored. The audience is invited to reflect deeply on these critical issues through artistic productions.
The co-curators of Sinopale 9 are Melike Bayık, Deniz Erbaş, İpek M. Sür, and Nil İlkbaşaran. The General Artistic Direction is led by the biennial’s founder, T. Melih Görgün. Additionally, the Hal Collective, formed by young people from Sinop who have been trained through Sinopale, is taking on curatorship for their own project, "In Place and Together."
About the Curators:
Deniz Erbaş holds degrees in Art Management from Yıldız Technical University and Art History from Paris 8 University. Since 2007, she has designed and managed exhibitions and projects as an independent curator in various institutional contexts in Turkey and abroad. She has directed international artist programs such as "Istanbul Lives" and "Boğaziçi Chronicles." Since 2012, she has been the executive curator and co-director of the Çanakkale Biennial Initiative (CABININ).
Melike Bayık is an independent curator, writer, and academician focused on public spaces, urban justice, participation, social equality, and sustainability. She is the founding consultant of Eldem Art Space, the art consultant for the Hitay Foundation and Collection, and a member of AICA, ICOM, and CIMAM. She continues her academic work at Yeditepe University’s Art and Culture Management program. Works at different institutions and projects, lives in Istanbul.
İpek M. Sür is an independent curator, cultural diplomacy consultant, and creative producer working between Istanbul and Amsterdam. Known for initiating meaningful and participatory dialogues on social issues through international projects that combine art, design, and collaboration, her work pushes traditional boundaries and invites audiences to confront complex questions and rethink perspectives through creative expression.
Nil İlkbaşaran is an interdisciplinary artist producing socially engaged, dialogue-based participatory art projects and site-specific installations aimed at rekindling people's relationship with their environment. Since 2017, she has been leading "For the Love of Bees! Ecological Awareness and Art Workshops" in Turkey and abroad as a collective effort with her partners.
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