7th Mardin Biennial to Open Under the Title “GÖKzemin”
The 7th Mardin Biennial, taking place between May 15 and June 21, 2026, meets audiences this year under the title “GÖKzemin.” Curated by Çelenk Bafra, the biennial establishes a line of thought between sky and ground, past and present, and the individual and collective memory.
Focusing on Mardin’s multilayered cultural structure, this edition proposes a route that extends beyond the boundaries of the old city. Dara Ancient City, Deyrulzafaran Monastery, and Ateş Beyler Bath, along with Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum in Upper Mardin and various public spaces, are among the biennial’s venues.
Invisible Routes Between Spaces
The title “GÖKzemin” centers on the relationship between the city’s stone texture and the sky. The figure of the bird, embedded in the region’s cultural memory, is positioned as a guide tracing this narrative. Transitions between exhibitions, installations, and performances invite viewers into a multilayered experience that moves across spaces. This year, the biennial brings together 41 artists and artist collectives from 20 different countries.
While some of the artists are developing new works specifically for the biennial, others are recontextualizing existing works within Mardin’s historical framework. Painting, sculpture, video, photography, performance, and sound-based practices are presented through an exhibition approach that engages directly with the city’s architecture.
Participating Artists
Ahmet Doğu İpek
Alfredo Jaar
Ali Kaaf
Alper Aydın
Basim Magdy
Bawer Doğanay
Bi Acayip Hâne (Senem Râbia Sekban & Fatma Alara Akgün)
Camila Rocha
Canan Dağdelen
Cansu Çakar
Carlos Aires
Ekin Kano
Erinç Seymen
Erkan Özgen
Esmeralda Kosmatopoulos
Fares Ayash
Gözde İlkin
Hamra Abbas
Hilal Can
Hiwa K.
Hüseyin Aksoy
Isaac Chong Wai
İrem Tok
Jakup Ferri
Khalil Rabah
Kite (Dr. Suzanne Kite)
Małgorzata Mirga-Tas
Maro Michalakakos
Mehmet Ali Boran
Mehtap Baydu
Michael Rakowitz
Özgür Demirci
Pelin Kırca
Rozelin Akgün
Šejla Kamerić
Selçuk Artut
Slavs and Tatars
Vahap Avşar
Xul Solar
Yasmeen Al Daya
Zahit Mungan
