The first Istanbul Design Biennial, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) will be held this fall, from October 13 through December 12. With the theme “Imperfection,” prompted by Istanbul Design Biennial advisory board member and Director of the Design Museum in London Deyan Sudjic, exhibitions will examine products and projects spanning urban design; architecture; interior architecture; industrial, graphic, fashion, and new media design; and related subfields.

The open call for applications drew 514 projects , 236 of which were of Turkish origin while 278 were from 48 other countries including the U.S., Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and Greece. Curators Emre Arolate and Joseph Grima have interpreted all contributions within a framework of their independent approaches: “Musibet: The Aesthiticization of Context and Anti-Context in Design Along the Axis of the Grand Transformation” by Arolate will be held at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art and “Adhocracy” by Grima—which explores the final user as a part of the design and manufacturing processes—will take place at Galata Greek Primary School.  The Academic Programme, workshops, exhibitions, and other events will be spread across the city.

The Istanbul Design Biennial will also feature a film festival in November, wherein 18 documentary films spanning architecture, fashion, and urban design will be screened. Shown at the Chamber of Architects, Pera Museum, and the French Cultural Centre, talks with featured designers and filmmakers will also constitute the programs.

For more information, visit istanbuldesignbiennial.iksv.org.