Art Talks: Misal Adnan Yıldız

Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Time: 18.00
Venue: Istanbul Modern Auditorium

Istanbul Modern’s second guest for the “Art Talks” series is curator, researcher, and writer Misal Adnan Yıldız, who has lived in Scandinavia, New Zealand, and Germany since 2006. The talk focuses on Yıldız’s concept of “planetary experience” in curatorial practice, drawing on his life and work experiences across both hemispheres.

At the heart of the talk is Yıldız’s over a decade of experience as the director of public art institutions, as well as the concept of “institutional distancing,” which is connected to the idea of “public” that also evolved during the pandemic. Drawing from unique incidences his profession afforded him, such as waking up by the ocean or living on a 19th-century street, Yıldız will explore, together with the participants, the most suitable Turkish equivalents for the terms “planetary experience” and “interlocality.”

Describing his profession as “continuous mediation” and perceiving contemporary art forms as “living docs,” Yıldız emphasizes the importance of digital and natural transformations and aims to present local, critical, and universal perspectives on the evolution of art.

By focusing on the working conditions and usable spaces of museums and art institutions, Yıldız’s presentation will also discuss his research showcasing artworks that challenge the perception of time. Yıldız will concentrate on his upcoming biennial project (MEDITERRANEA 20 – The Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean) to share with participants how art integrates social and environmental dimensions.
 

Misal Adnan Yıldız is a curator, writer, and researcher who is inspired by the Mediterranean, the sun, water, hedonism, and poetry. He was the director of Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden between May 2020 and July 2024, a position he shared with Çağla İlk. Yıldız served as the director of Artspace Aotearoa in Auckland, New Zealand, between 2014 and 2017, and prior to that, he was the artistic director of Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, Germany, from 2011 to 2014. He was also the co-curator of the main exhibition of the 6th Ural Industrial Biennial in Yekaterinburg, Russia. In 2025, Yıldız will be among the curators of MEDITERRANEA 20 as part of the European Capitals of Culture program.

The event is free of charge. 
The talk is held in Turkish. 
Attendance is limited due to seating capacity.

Photo: Berk Kır