Mardin Bienali
Mardin Bienali 2026
- Dates: 15 May to 21 June 2026
- Title: SKYground
- Curator: Çelenk Bafra
- Admission is free for CIMAM Members. Preview on May 15 at the Sabanci City Museum, 2026.
The Mardin Biennial, set in southeastern Türkiye between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, expands beyond the city into key sites such as Upper Mardin, Dara Ancient City, Deyrulzafaran Monastery, and Kızıltepe, inviting audiences to engage with the layered geography and cultural history of Upper Mesopotamia. Titled “SKYground,” this edition explores the relationships between opposing forces, reality and imagination, material and spiritual, political and poetic, as well as past and future, through a multi-layered artistic journey. The biennial is conceptually guided by the figure of birds, deeply rooted in the region’s natural and cultural memory, symbolizing movement between sky and ground while connecting exhibitions, installations, and performances across locations. Drawing inspiration from Aristophanes’ The Birds and Ferîdüddîn Attâr’s The Conference of the Birds, the event presents birds as metaphors for freedom, migration, resistance, and transformation, explored by participating artists through diverse media including painting, sculpture, video, performance, photography, sound, and site-specific installations.
Curated by Çelenk Bafra, the 7th Mardin Biennial, titled “SKYground,” will unfold throughout the city through exhibitions, site-specific installations, interventions, and performances from 15 May to 21 June 2026 under the sponsorship of PEUGEOT. A member of the International Biennial Association (IBA), the Mardin Biennial has been organized since 2010 by the non-governmental Mardin Cinema Association and co-directed by Döne Otyam and Hakan Irmak.