6th International Istanbul Biennial: The Passion and The Wave

Istanbul, this great city, standing at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has been a vast polyglot center for hundreds of years. It is a city whose history spans centuries and continents, and whose intellectual borders extend deep into Europe and Asia, into the north as well as into the south. The myriad of cultures that compose it thrive on the energy, on the fervour and on the generosity of its inhabitants. The title of this biennial is an acknowledgement of the cross-national character of its culture and a homage to this city through the name of one of its great voices.

"Dalga" or "Dalgas", which means "wave" in Turkish and "passion" in Greek, was the stage name of Antonis Dhiamantidhis, a singer of amanédhes -long drawn melodies related to the Turkish gazels that are composed of couplets, and that are interspersed with the interjection aman, "alas" or "mercy" in English, both for improvisational purposes and as an emotional outlet.

"The Passion and the Wave" is a title that evokes an emotional state, as well as a physical entity, that of the sea, which is an overriding presence both dividing and uniting this city. It indicates the exhibition's conceptual matrix, but also a profound interest in individual histories, and in the sensory qualities and degree of emotional intensity that are the cornerstones of all artistic creation.