Christine Tohmé’s itinerant edition invites audiences to discover overlooked architectural gems in the heart of Istanbul.
Courtesy of Istanbul Biennial.
The 18th edition of the Istanbul Biennial, titled ‘The Three-Legged Cat’, is set to run from 20 September to 23 November 2025. Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) with support from long-term sponsor Koç Holding, this edition introduces the first leg of a three-year curatorial structure developed by curator Christine Tohmé.
Known for reinventing its spatial footprint with every edition, the Istanbul Biennial once again eschews fixed venues in favour of a constellation of repurposed buildings and forgotten sites. Concentrated in the historic districts of Karaköy and Beyoğlu, the 2025 venues reflect the biennial’s evolving relationship with the city and its architectural memory.
Among the key locations is the Galata Greek School, a Biennial mainstay returning to the programme after a five-year restoration. Initially built in 1885 and closed in 1988, the school offers a layered setting for contemporary works within a space charged with community history.
Nearby in Tophane, the Zihni Han building—once home to a shipping agency—has been freshly refurbished. Standing amid the new Galataport development, it symbolises the city’s ongoing negotiation between commerce, heritage, and cultural use. Also included is Meclis-i Mebusan Avenue No. 35, now activated on its ground floor to host site-specific works.
On Galata Wine Dock Street, visitors encounter two opposing venues: Muradiye Han and Galeri 77, a former wine cellar that once received barrels from the Aegean, hinting at Istanbul’s maritime trade legacy. A few steps away sits a former ice cream cone factory, now a space for cultural experimentation.
Climbing toward İstiklal Avenue via Boğazkesen Street, audiences reach the former French Orphanage, a stately four-storey property once run by the Daughters of Charity. Its garden hosts an outdoor installation. Higher still is Elhamra Han, one of Istanbul’s earliest theatre buildings. Built in 1827 and known as the Palais de Cristal, it later evolved into a cinema and entertainment hub during the 20th century.
According to the curatorial team, the proximity between venues is central to the experience. With many of the sites walkable, visitors are invited to encounter the exhibition in a state of flow, absorbing not just the works on view but also the city itself as part of the artistic fabric.
This spatial logic resonates with Tohmé’s broader curatorial framework for ‘The Three-Legged Cat’, which resists conventional biennial formats in favour of a more processual, multi-year approach. The biennial’s first phase doesn’t simply occupy the city; it engages with it—its histories, transformations, and ongoing tensions.
Further details, including participating artists and public programmes, are expected to be announced in the coming months. For now, the unveiling of these repurposed venues signals an exhibition that is as much about Istanbul’s urban story as it is about contemporary art.
For more information, please visit bienal.iksv.org
