'Imperfection' to define first İstanbul Design Biennial

A venture initiated by Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum in London and a member of the international advisory board for the İstanbul Design Biennial, in an effort to celebrate the creative and distinctive design potential of İstanbul, share it with an international audience and underline the importance of design for production, economy, cultural interaction and quality of life, the biennial will be open to all disciplines of the creative industries in major fields such as urban design, architecture, interior design, industrial design, graphic design, new media design and fashion design.

Commenting in a press statement, Sudjic said he couldn’t think of a better place to explore the theme of imperfection than in İstanbul, a city of infinite layers, that is far from perfect yet simultaneously one of the most exhilarating and dynamic centers in the world, a place charged with the vitality that comes from engaging with rapid urban, social and cultural change.

The theme of imperfection, incorporating impermanence, transience and imperfection is intended to both celebrate İstanbul’s distinctive creative qualities and also encapsulate a wider discussion about the nature of design in the contemporary world. A new take on old ideas, the choice of such a theme is intended to motivate the younger generation of designers and push forward the reality that we are no longer living in a utopia and thus should find inspiration in working with the messy realities of everyday life as opposed to pursuing precision and repetition for the sake of it.

An extended program running for the better part of two months, the biennial will include national and international design exhibitions, thematic presentations from renowned artists, workshops, seminars and other theme-specific projects. Information for artists and designers interested in participating will be available in October when an open call for admissions begins.

A considerable undertaking, Sudjic will be joined on the advisory board by a selection of national and international art academics, curators and historians, including Professor Mehmet Asatekin of Bahçeşehir University; Levent Çalıkoğlu, the chief curator at the İstanbul Modern; an industrial designer, Defne Koz; Professor İlhan Tekeli, an honorary member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences; founder of Material ConneXion George Beylerian; Professor John Heskett, the acting dean of the faculty of design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and chairman of the board of Vitra Design Foundation Alexander von Vegesack. For more information on the event see: http://ist.designbiennial@iksv.

Sung Ho Choi: American Dream « Asia Art Archive in America

SPACE WOMb Gallery is pleased to announce “American Dream”, a solo exhibition featuring the works of artist, Sung Ho Choi.

Choi immigrated to the United States from Korea in 1981. This cultural transition had a profound affect on his art because it allowed him to expand on his themes and mediums. Most of Choi’s works intersect between cultures and traditions by addressing the critical issues of current society.

“ Dreamscape ” is constructed of a shallow grid made of lottery tickets showing an image of mountains. This work innovates the intersection of logic and emotions. These patterns of waves have various directions in which they crash, collide, and affirm one another within the same image. In a way, this work resembles the indecisive human mind of how we often fight with our antagonistic impulses.