Istanbul Biennial

The Istanbul Biennial is Turkey's leading international contemporary art exhibition, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and held every two years in September across the city's historic and contemporary venues. Founded in 1987, it was one of the first biennials established outside of Europe and North America, and has since shaped international discourse through thematically ambitious editions by major curators. Istanbul's unique geographic and cultural position between East and West gives the biennial a distinctive critical perspective.