This year the Commagene Biennial takes place between August 24th and November 8th. During the opening ceremony, the biennial director, Nihat Özdal, shared his thoughts on the event: ‘‘We worked in a city devastated by an earthquake. Artists collaborated with local masters and craftsmen such as carpenters and blacksmiths. It was a challenging time because the city’s artisans were focused on rebuilding.’’
Özdal added: ‘‘While industrial establishments worked on renewing the city’s infrastructure, the artists created sculptures and installations. Though this work may not have initially resonated with them, it sparked different dialogues during the process.’’
Özdal also noted that, as a biennial team, they have already formed strong friendships and one of their objectives is to nurture these relationships. Artists who visited in previous years have developed deep connections here. For instance, those who came three years ago initiated campaigns about Adıyaman in their home countries after the earthquake, demonstrating significant solidarity through their efforts.
The Commagene Biennial is unique among other biennials in Türkiye because of its focus on land art installations. Most of the artworks are placed outdoors, which can make traveling a bit difficult in sunny weather. However, August is very important for us due to the ancient history of Commagene. Over 2000 years ago, King Antiochus left a will stating that after his death, artists should come here every August and be entertained in a very nice way. The following text is engraved on one of the largest wall inscriptions in Anatolia, in the Ancient City of Arsemia. Özdal mentioned that Arsemia used to be a biennial location before the earthquake. Due to serious damage from the earthquake, entry into Arsemia is prohibited.
Creating Art in The Nature
The curator, István Erőss, said that he was invited to the biennial as an artist and knows how magnificent this area and vast land in Adıyaman are.
My area of art research focuses on art that relates to nature, often referred to as nature art. This type of art can also be described as site-specific art in nature. Creating this kind of art involves multiple layers of meaning, and the connection and context between the artist and their surroundings are essential parts of this process.
Noting that when the earthquake hit Adıyaman, artists organized an auction with the Turkish embassy in Budapest, Eross said they had collected 600 paintings and prints to raise money. Eross mentioned that everything was sold out in the first auction.
‘‘And now, it’s really important to be a part of this event. So, when they asked me to be the curator of the Biennial, I immediately said yes. I came up with an idea two years ago, and then we had an open call worldwide, receiving over 200 proposals. We selected 30-35 proposals, aiming to include both the young and old generations and cover different aspects of the concept.
Erőss added that local people also contributed to the process and worked with artists.
