On Wednesday, February 26, Faculty of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture hosted an event at the İhsan Ayser Doğramacı Cultural Center with the participation of several guests. Titled “The Story of a Biennial: Mardin Biennial,” the event focused on the story of Mardin Biennial as it was told by Döne Otyam and Hakan Irmak, both directors of the biennial since it started fourteen years ago. The talk was moderated by Sera Sade of Siyah Beyaz Gallery in Ankara. This event aimed to bring together people from academia, art institutions, universities and embassies to initiate an ongoing dialogue among stakeholders in the context of fine arts.

A member of the International Biennale Association (IBA), Mardin Biennale is organized biyearly to draw attention to the works and artistic events produced in the region and to bring artists from Türkiye together with an international community. During the event, Döne Otyam and Hakan Irmak talked about the emergence of the idea of a biennial that would take place in Mardin. They shared their experiences regarding the historical and geographical status of the city, working with municipalities and institutions as well as communicating with an international society of artists. They also shared insights on how they collaborate with the contemporary artists around the world and the interesting aspects of inspiring and being inspired by these artists continually. The talk was later followed by Sera Sade’s questions together with comments from the guests.

The inspiring talk of Döne Otyam and Hakan Irmak was enjoyed by several guests in the room among whom was our rector Prof.Dr. Kürşat Aydoğan and METU rector Prof.Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil. The session on biennial was later followed by a cocktail which took place in the reception of İhsan Ayser Doğramacı Cultural Center.

26/02/2025