The İzmir Mediterranean Biennial, organized by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality in collaboration with K2 Contemporary Art Center, opened this year for the first time with the theme "Looking at the Same Water". Speaking at the biennial, where 32 participants from 17 countries took part, Mayor Tunç Soyer said, "The Mediterranean Biennial acts as a platform to spread a message of peace that resonates with the world. This is particularly important at this difficult time when the Palestinian people are suffering gross human rights violations. I promise to make every effort for young people, for the development of peace, for harmony and democracy."
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality opened the doors of the İzmir Mediterranean Biennial, organized for the first time this year with the theme "Looking at the Same Water", where the works of 32 participants from 17 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea were exhibited. Art lovers showed great interest in the opening of the biennial held in Kültürpark Atlas Pavilion under the artistic direction of Ayşegül Kurtel. Open from January 23rd to March 11th, the biennial features work in a variety of disciplines such as painting, photography, video, multimedia installation, ceramics, three-dimensional audiovisual installation.
İzmir is aware of the important role of young people
Speaking at the opening of the Biennial, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer said that in September-October, young artists created various works such as painting, photography, multimedia installations, ceramics, kinetic sculptures and three-dimensional audiovisual installations in İzmir. Stating that İzmir, with its 8,500 years of history, is a Mediterranean port city that nurtures democratic values, Mayor Soyer said: "The origins of art, which includes painting, theater, architecture and music, as well as the basic practices of agriculture, date back to Anatolia, where these creative and fundamental elements first took root and spread around the world. With its rich history, the Mediterranean is not just a geographical location; it is a living heritage that embodies the principles of harmony for all humanity. Inspired by this cultural heritage, the youth of İzmir is determined to be a pioneer of change, aspiring to lead the youth of Türkiye towards a future that preserves our common democratic heritage. İzmir, the third largest city in Türkiye with a population of 4.5 million, one million of whom are young people, is aware of the important role of young people in shaping the present and future of the city by protecting democracy, which is at the heart of our common heritage."
İzmir's commitment to democracy is not only local but also extends to the global stage
Stating that 21st century challenges such as climate emergencies, economic inequalities, social inequalities and threats to democracy require innovative and interconnected solutions, Mayor Tunç Soyer said, "The concept of Circular Culture emerges as a transformative approach to governance in this context. Introduced in 2021 at the Culture Summit we organized in İzmir, the Circular Culture concept defines cities as ecosystems that nurture calmness and harmony. The concept stands on four pillars: Harmony with nature, harmony with each other, harmony with our past and harmony with change. In the field of governance, Circular Culture becomes a guiding methodology for us, strengthening democracy through the lens of coherence. Transparent, fair and inclusive governance is key to achieving a high quality of life for all citizens. İzmir's commitment to the reformulation of democracy is not only local but also extends to the global level."
I promise to young people
Emphasizing that the İzmir Mediterranean Biennial aims to improve the dialogue between Mediterranean cultures by highlighting the experiences of young Mediterranean artists, Mayor Soyer said: "This Biennial acts as a platform for spreading a message of peace from the Mediterranean to the world. This is particularly important at this difficult time when the Palestinian people are suffering gross human rights violations. Through this event we will also introduce İzmir's long art history and artistic expression to the rest of the world. This biennial will strengthen our common Mediterranean identity and deepen the cohesion and alliance between all the cities of the Mediterranean. I promise to the youth, both present and future, to make every effort for the development of peace, for harmony and democracy."
Art is for people to live better
Ayşegül Kurtel, Artistic Director of the Mediterranean Biennial, said, "First of all, I would like to thank the mayor Tunç Soyer for inviting us to organize this biennial. It was a very meaningful project for me. It is very important for the K2 Project Center to come here and hold this event. It is very important to do something about the Mediterranean in the context of art. Art is for people to live better. Art is far from shallow politics. Sharing peace was the basis of a project that Mediterranean artists would produce together. We experienced this one-on-one within the project. We had very pleasant meetings,"
32 artists from 17 countries
İzmir Mediterranean Biennial is organized for the first time within the framework of İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer's vision of strengthening İzmir's leading role in the Mediterranean and transforming İzmir into a city of art. The Biennale makes visible the cultural and artistic capacity of the region, while fostering dialogue between Mediterranean cultures and societies through art to sustain pluralism, diversity and freedom.
Bringing together the perspectives of artists with different experiences, the Biennial emphasizes the importance of being together with common denominators and differences. The age criteria of the İzmir Mediterranean Biennial, whose participants are artists under the age of 35, was determined with reference to the standards of the Young Creators from Europe and the Mediterranean Biennial network (BJCEM), of which İzmir Metropolitan Municipality is a member. The aim was to create a platform for young artists from the Mediterranean, while opening up space for new forms of expression.  
The artists with the works featured at the Biennial were Alex Brajković, Ana Aleksić, Bawer Doğanay, Berfin Ataman, Berna Dolmacı, Can Büyükberber, Claudio Zorzi, Dalea Kovačec, Erdem Çolak, Fredj Moussa, Garance Alves, Greta Pllana, Laura Besançon, Levi Viller, Mahdi Baraghithi, Malak Elghuel, Marko Damiš, Mehdi Hachid, Merkezkaç Art Collective, Nelly El Sharkawy, Nermin Sena Özger, Nesligül Cebesoy, Nour Abou Saada, Öznur Yıldırım, Revan Yaşar, Smirna Kulenović, Soufian Chemcham, Stratis Tavlaridis, Talha Demiral, Vladimir Novak, Yağmur Kevser Barutçu and Yassine Sellame.