Pavilion of Turkey at the Venice International Architecture Biennale

This is the first year that Turkey will be present at the International Architecture Exhibition in its new long-term pavilion at the Arsenale. The Pavilion of Turkey will house Places of Memory, an exhibition curated by Murat Tabanlıoğlu and coordinated by Pelin Derviş. Open 7 June–23 November 2014.

Places of Memory will explore the main theme of the Biennale, Fundamentals—as set by Rem Koolhas in his role as Director of the Architecture Biennale—through perceptions and experiences. With an idea departing from three areas of Istanbul that acted as thresholds during different stages of the curator’s life, the project will focus on the concept of place itself, incorporated with the subjective vision of every exhibitor in the team. Working with across different scales and mediums, the team will create a story that will be experienced in Venice.

To accompany the exhibition a book will be published, featuring a collection of interviews conducted by Luca Molinari, the curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition. The book, designed by Aslı Altay (Future Anecdotes Istanbul), will be available in English and Turkish.

Murat Tabanlıoğlu studied architecture at Vienna Technical University. He founded Tabanlıoğlu Architects in cooperation with Dr. Hayati Tabanlıoğlu in Istanbul in 1990 and Melkan Gürsel Tabanlıoğlu joined the group in 1995. Besides his studio programme at Istanbul Bilgi University, he lectures at universities and various international platforms. As a jury member, in addition to his international contributions, such as at AIA and WAF, Mr. Tabanlıoğlu served on the Master Jury for the 2013 Cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. He is a RIBA, Chartered Member and Int’l. Assoc. AIA.

The 14th International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia will feature country pavilions alongside the main exhibition Fundamentals—curated by Rem Koolhaas. Rem Koolhaas suggested the participating countries to engage a single theme Absorbing Modernity: 1914–2014 and therefore, focus on a common topic and develop their own approach from a unique standpoint.

The Pavilion of Turkey is coordinated by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, co-sponsored by Schüco Turkey and VitrA, and realised with the contribution of the Promotion Fund of the Turkish Prime Ministry, under the auspices of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Republic of Turkey. The Pavilion of Turkey is located at the Arsenale, for 20 years from 2014 to 2034, thanks to the contributions of 21 supporters who have made this possible.

For further information: www.iksv.org/en and placesofmemory.iksv.org