“Reflections in the Mirror of Existence”

Last year, with the phrase “Where There Is Shadow, There Must Be Light”, we focused on the harmonious dance of existence between opposites, on that absolute balance where light and shadow bring each other into being. This inquiry inevitably led us to the next step: to the human being standing at the very centre of this play of light and shadow, and to humanity’s most ancient role-“witnessing”. The IV Yeditepe Biennial places this consciousness, which lies at the essence of traditional arts, at its core: Witness.

Witnessing is one of the most fundamental and most complex layers of being human. The human being, by material nature, is a part of this concrete world; they see, hear, taste, and touch. In this respect, they are a direct witness to the age, geography, and culture in which they live. Yet the human being is not merely a biological entity; they are also the bearer of a metaphysical depth. This second layer points to the process of making sense of one’s own existence and constructing it as consciousness. It is precisely at the intersection of these two dimensions that witnessing begins. While bearing witness to the concrete reality of the external world, the human being simultaneously becomes aware of their own inner world, their intentions, an awakening to a truth, or their deviations from it.

Traditional arts are the purest and most disciplined expression of this witnessing. Every art, in its own language, undoubtedly keeps a record of witnessing. Yet this process is interwoven with awareness and deviations. Under the influence of the nafs, the clamor of the age, and illusions, the human being can drift away from the essential truth to which they must bear witness. Amidst the speed and fragmentation of the modern world, to what will today’s artist, who practises traditional arts, continue to bear witness? This question is the fundamental quest of our biennial. 

The theme of “The Witness” moves beyond the harmony of opposites, focusing on the very consciousness that contemplates that harmony and is responsible for it-that is, the human being themselves. Our classical arts, which are a reflection of the divine art in the universe, will this time establish a great assembly of witnessing in which the artist and the viewer will participate together. The works will be exhibited not as pieces of evidence, but as records of witnessing kept by the artist in the process of substituting their own existence.

Curated by İsmail Hakkı Gurbetçi, the IV Yeditepe Biennial brings together the witnesses of tradition and the present day in the heart of Istanbul, to ask together: In one’s own life and art, to what does the human being fundamentally bear witness?