Fulya Erdemci

Based in Turkey and the Netherlands, internationally renowned curator and writer Fulya Erdemci was the director of SKOR (Stichting Kunst en Openbare Ruimte, or Foundation for Art and Public Domain), in Amsterdam, from 2008 to 2012. Her projects there included a collaborative work with the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art entitled Morality Wall: Between You and I (2009), comprising four massive artworks mounted as billboard-sized banners, aiming to create space for reflection on the contemporary meaning of “morality.” Erdemci was among the first directors of the Istanbul Biennial (1994–2000) and went on to direct Proje 4L, in Istanbul (2003–2004), and to serve as curator of temporary exhibitions at Istanbul Modern (2004–2005). She returned to the Istanbul Biennial to curate the 2013 edition, entitled “Mom, Am I Barbarian?” (referencing Lale Müldür’s book of the same title), an exhibition exploring the notion of the public domain as a political forum.

Why we love Fulya Erdemci:

• Fulya’s investigations into contemporary forms of democracy bring a curatorial and critical light to the mass protests erupting in Istanbul

• In response to increasing police violence against protesters, Fulya Erdemci announced that the exhibition venues for the Istanbul Biennial would include buildings temporarily vacant due to urban transformation, including “the very contested Taksim Square and Gezi Park”

• Fulya is adding a unique spin to Istanbul’s public spaces with projects and artworks, like the transformation of a square used mainly for funerals into a playground