++FIRST AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2017++

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Istanbul - 20 September 2017

1. Various of gnome and rubber dinghy, part of work by American artist Stephen G. Rhodes focusing on migrant crisis

2. Various of exhibition visitor viewing artwork titled "Wilkommen Assumption: Or the Private Propertylessness" by Rhodes installed in an historic Turkish bath

3. Pan to the artwork which is about the migrant crisis

4. Wide of the dome of the bath, artwork beneath it

5. Close of water falling as part of installation

6. Visitor walking through installation

7. Mid of plastic child heads installation being exhibited in historic Turkish bath

8. Wide of the entrance of one of the exhibitions

9. Close of black bags reading (Turkish and English) "A good neighbour"

10. Wide of Bige Orer, Istanbul Biennial's director, in Istanbul Modern Art Museum

11. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Bige Orer, Istanbul Biennial's director:

"The 15th Istanbul Biennial is curated by duo artists Elmgreen and Dragset. And we are celebrating 30 years and the 15th edition of Istanbul Biennial in 2017. This Biennial titled "a good neighbour", it brings together the different art practices from different regions and different generations. We have 56 artists in total and 30 of them produced new works for the Biennial. They came to Istanbul many times, both for their research and the production and installation of their work."

12. Wide of South African artist Kemang Wa Lehulere's artwork titled "Conference of the Birds"

13. Close of papers on ground as part of Lehulere's installation

14. Mid of Lehulere's work, visitors passing

15. Various of Turkish artist Ali Taptik's photo work titled "Friends and Strangers" being exhibited during Istanbul Biennial

16. Close of sign reading (Turkish) "Ali Taptik, on each stairwell, Friends and Strangers, 2017"

17. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ali Taptik, Turkish artist:

"As I said, being a part of Istanbul Biennial is very important, especially to be able to work with the support of an institution is very important. Istanbul is the city where I was born, raised and live, so I have been dreaming about being invited to Istanbul Biennial for years. I am very happy that this happened this year."

18. Wide of the exhibition in Istanbul Modern Art Museum

19. Tracking view of a visitor taking a picture and walking around the exhibition

20. Wide of the exhibition

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Gary Simmons, visitor:

"It's a breath of fresh air, I love it. I just enjoyed being in the space, and experiencing the colour and the diversity of materials that people used, that's fantastic. I loved the one with the post-it notes, and I think, I have been taking photos of the man hole covers and I used the same for that piece of art which I thought was fantastic."

22. Various of artwork titled "Continuouslessness by British-Polish artist Kasia Fudakowski's, being exhibited in a former Greek Primary School, one of the exhibition locations

23. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Bige Orer, Istanbul Biennial's director:

"Who is the good neighbour? Does a good neighbour have a more extended family than yours? Is a good neighbour your friend on social media? Is a good neighbour somebody from a neighbouring country? We asked those questions with the aim of having different approaches to the concept of the neighbour. Basically, everyone is a neighbour and everyone has a neighbour. So we believe that both the topic of this Biennial and the exhibition can interact with us easily."

24. Various of exhibition

25. Mid of the door to the exhibition in historic Turkish bath

26. Wide of the exhibition in historic Turkish bath

LEADIN:

Istanbul is hosting Turkey's most important contemporary art event.

This year the Istanbul Biennial is running under the theme of 'a good neighbour' with art that explores the migrant crisis, cultural diversity and environmental changes.

The nightmarish artwork of American artist Stephen Rhodes' is on display at this historic Turkish bath.

Titled "Wilkommen Assumption: Or the Private Propertylessness", it focuses on the migrant crisis.

The installation is part of the Istanbul Biennial.

It's Turkey's most important contemporary art event and this year has attracted 56 artists from 32 different countries.

Their work is being exhibited at six different locations across the city including the Istanbul Modern Art Museum, a former Greek primary school, and the Turkish bath.

This is the 15th edition of the Biennial and the artists are bound together with one idea: the concept of "home", "belonging" and "neighbour".

South African artist Kemang Wa Lehulere is one of a number of international artists showing at the event.

But there is home-grown talent too.

Ali Taptik's photo work titled "Friends and Strangers" is here.

He says being part of the Biennial is very important for him.

"Istanbul is the city where I was born, raised and live, so I have been dreaming about being invited to Istanbul Biennial for years. I am very happy that this happened this year," he says.

Around half-a-million Turkish and international visitors are expected to see the exhibitions in 2017.

"It's a breath of fresh air, I love it. I just enjoyed being in the space, and experiencing the colour and the diversity of materials that people used," says Australian visitor Gary Simmons.

The theme is "a good neighbour" and the artists involved have many different interpretations of that idea.

The migrant crisis, environmental changes, and cultural diversity are among the topics they have explored.

"Who is the good neighbour? Does a good neighbour have a more extended family than yours? Is a good neighbour your friend on social media? Is a good neighbour somebody from a neighbouring country?" asks Bige Orer, Istanbul Biennial's director.

"We asked those questions with the aim of having different approaches to the concept of neighbour."

The Istanbul Biennial opened on 16 September and runs until 12 November 2017.

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