Land and River Art Biennial opens in Adıyaman

Commagene Lar, Land and Art Biennial opened in Adıyaman's Kahta district on Sept. 23. Curated by Nihat Özdal, the biennial showcases artworks of 13 artists, Shirin Abedinarad, Vahap Avşar, Murat Cem Baytok, Anna Laura Cantera, Yalda Jamali, Odmaa Uranchimeg, Cengiz Tekin, Mariko Hori, Zaid Saad, Meltem Şahin, Mert Kocadayı and Kim İncheol.

The curator Nihat Özdal said, this will be Türkiye's first Land and River Art Biennial around the Euphrates River. Özdal also said, that this geography is an exclusive one giving all the artistic needs that one can reach. "That's why we must take care of this geography, especially after the earthquake. That's why we must continue doing art events in this geography," he added.

The biennial is centered around three islands situated across from the historical Nevali Çori's flooded areas. These islands are free from settlements and agricultural activity and are currently used exclusively for art-related activities. Other notable places in the region include the Karakuş Tumulus, Cendere Bridge and Nemrut Peak, significant in the region's archaeology and history. The biennial theme "The Value of a Metaphor" is based on a text written by Ismail Ertürk, a professor from the University of Manchester.

The biennial team also held a panel before the opening. The Sustainability, Economy, and Environment Panel focused on land art, and how art can change society's perception of economy and sustainability. Moderated by İsmail Ertürk, the panel featured talks by Betül Bildik, Fatma Çolakoğlu, Burak Delier, Sabahnur Erdemli, Bahadır Kaleağası, and Argun Okumuşoğlu as speakers. Irini Papadimitrio gave a speech titled "Money and Environment," Sophy King spoke on "Anthropocene Age and Our Relationship with Nature," and Becky...