Truth Bearer
09-28-2007, 03:11 AM
Biennial optimistic in era of expression wars
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The latest target in Turkey's many ongoing scuffles over freedom of expression is not the Nobel-prize winning writer Orhan Pamuk or, as in a more recent incident, a student offending a minister by refusing to shake his hand. But welcome to the club, they might say, to the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and the Biennial curator, Hou Hanru.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/photo/92007/m84535.jpg
Apparently, what Hanru did wrong was “a deliberate statement that surpasses ignorance,” in his foreword to the Biennial catalogue printed and distributed in the tens of thousands, according to Marmara University's Department of Fine Arts Dean Professor Nazan Erkmen. The salvo, supported by more than 100 academic colleagues came almost 20 days after the opening of the 10th International Istanbul Biennial. This was followed by the İKSV's answer yesterday.
The theme of this biennial is "Not Only Possible, But Also Necessary: Optimism in the Age of Global War."
Hanru's foreword in the Biennial catalogue that caused such offense reads as follows: “Turkey, as one the of first non-western modern republics and a key player in the modernization of the developing world has proved to be one of the most radical, spectacular and influential cases in this direction. But, a fundamentally crucial problem is that the modernization model promoted by the Kemalist project was still a top-down imposition with some unsolvable contradictions and dilemmas inherent within the system: the quasi-military imposition of reforms, while necessary as a revolutionary tool, betrayed the principle of democracy; the nationalist ideology ran counter to its embracing of the universality of humanism, and the elite-led economic development generated social division. Populist political and religious forces have managed to recuperate and manipulate the claims from the ‘bottom' of the society and have used them to their own advantage.”
Culture Editor of the Radikal daily, Cem Erciyes, said that he is surprised with the attitude towards Hanru. "I was not expecting a response to Hanru's opening speech at the Biennial. He should be respected because this years biennial was successful," said Erciyes.
The İKSV also supported the curator, issuing a statement that said: “As an art and culture establishment, we would have expected the Fine Arts Department to regard free thought at least as sensitively as us, and to approach such events as the Biennial from an art perspective.”
The Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts' statement, titled “Criticism for the Biennial,” was written by Erkmen and signed by 131 faculty members. It said: “We would have expected the curator of the Istanbul's Biennial in Turkey, which is going through very delicate times, to be more sensitive. And we would like to remind him that, just as in Atatürk's words: 'An artist is the one that first sees the light after long dedication and efforts,' only those who have this sensitivity can be called artists.” A former curator of Istanbul Biennial criticized Marmara University's reaction to Hanru. "I am ashamed of the statement by the University of Marmara," said Vasıf Kortun, manager of Proje 4L Museum. "Universities should be places where intellectual discussions should be cherished," said Kortun in a telephone interview with the Turkish Daily News yesterday. "Academics should be open to discussions and to free thinking. Universities are strongholds of free thought they should not act like a military institution," said Kortun.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The latest target in Turkey's many ongoing scuffles over freedom of expression is not the Nobel-prize winning writer Orhan Pamuk or, as in a more recent incident, a student offending a minister by refusing to shake his hand. But welcome to the club, they might say, to the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and the Biennial curator, Hou Hanru.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/photo/92007/m84535.jpg
Apparently, what Hanru did wrong was “a deliberate statement that surpasses ignorance,” in his foreword to the Biennial catalogue printed and distributed in the tens of thousands, according to Marmara University's Department of Fine Arts Dean Professor Nazan Erkmen. The salvo, supported by more than 100 academic colleagues came almost 20 days after the opening of the 10th International Istanbul Biennial. This was followed by the İKSV's answer yesterday.
The theme of this biennial is "Not Only Possible, But Also Necessary: Optimism in the Age of Global War."
Hanru's foreword in the Biennial catalogue that caused such offense reads as follows: “Turkey, as one the of first non-western modern republics and a key player in the modernization of the developing world has proved to be one of the most radical, spectacular and influential cases in this direction. But, a fundamentally crucial problem is that the modernization model promoted by the Kemalist project was still a top-down imposition with some unsolvable contradictions and dilemmas inherent within the system: the quasi-military imposition of reforms, while necessary as a revolutionary tool, betrayed the principle of democracy; the nationalist ideology ran counter to its embracing of the universality of humanism, and the elite-led economic development generated social division. Populist political and religious forces have managed to recuperate and manipulate the claims from the ‘bottom' of the society and have used them to their own advantage.”
Culture Editor of the Radikal daily, Cem Erciyes, said that he is surprised with the attitude towards Hanru. "I was not expecting a response to Hanru's opening speech at the Biennial. He should be respected because this years biennial was successful," said Erciyes.
The İKSV also supported the curator, issuing a statement that said: “As an art and culture establishment, we would have expected the Fine Arts Department to regard free thought at least as sensitively as us, and to approach such events as the Biennial from an art perspective.”
The Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts' statement, titled “Criticism for the Biennial,” was written by Erkmen and signed by 131 faculty members. It said: “We would have expected the curator of the Istanbul's Biennial in Turkey, which is going through very delicate times, to be more sensitive. And we would like to remind him that, just as in Atatürk's words: 'An artist is the one that first sees the light after long dedication and efforts,' only those who have this sensitivity can be called artists.” A former curator of Istanbul Biennial criticized Marmara University's reaction to Hanru. "I am ashamed of the statement by the University of Marmara," said Vasıf Kortun, manager of Proje 4L Museum. "Universities should be places where intellectual discussions should be cherished," said Kortun in a telephone interview with the Turkish Daily News yesterday. "Academics should be open to discussions and to free thinking. Universities are strongholds of free thought they should not act like a military institution," said Kortun.