As the 14th Biennial examined the theory of Saltwater and its multifaceted meanings, this conference consisted of cross-disciplinary guest speakers (a Diver, a Sea Biologist, a Composer/Pianist, a Marine Archeologist, and a Conceptual Turkish Artist who participated in the Biennial) related to the topic. Saltwater was moderated by Nevzat Sayın, an acclaimed architect and curator. There was a video and image projection of the works related to the subject matter.

Since this Biennial presented new works by over fifty visual artists and other practitioners, including oceanographers and neuroscientists, in a citywide project on the Bosphorus, Open Space Istanbul and Open Dialogue Istanbul invited six guest speakers from different disciplines who had dealt with saltwater in their lives from different perspectives. The Bosphorus did not only bridge the East and the West but also carried many hidden treasures, memories, and histories. The Bosphorus also considered different frequencies and patterns of waves, the currents and densities of water, both visible and invisible, that poetically and politically shaped and transformed the world.

Salty Thoughts represented Open Space Istanbul & Open Dialogue Istanbul’s cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural exchange ideology that existed in a nomadic way in collaboration with the Istanbul Biennial. We examined what brought these professionals together and gathered them around the same subject as well as how their perspectives, coming from different educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds and interests, could change their approach and analyses.

Hera Büyüktaşçıyan, who took part in the Istanbul Biennial with her project From the Island of the Day Before, explored this notion between hidden aspects of time and mind and tried to make them visible.

The different perspectives and multi-disciplinary approaches that examined our underwater heritage with an artistic and musical reflection enabled it to resurface and meet with the audience.

Moderator: Nevzat Sayın
Speakers: Hera Büyüktaşçıyan, Anjelika Akbar, Doç. Dr. Ufuk Kocabaş, Rahmi Öğdül, Ali Ethem Kesin, Nevzat Sayın

Photo Credit: copyrights to Open Space