The second edition of the Türkiye Textile Biennial has commenced, inviting international visitors to explore the dynamic relationship between textiles and water. Curated by Nihat Özdal, this year’s theme, “Wave Fabric,” is showcased across historic venues in Antalya. The event will run until 13 April 2025.
Running from 22 February to 13 April, the biennial is hosted by the Gazipaşa District Governorship and takes place in several historic locations in Gazipaşa and Alanya, including the Ancient Cities of Selinus and Lamos, Yalan Dünya Cave, the Red Tower, Alanya Shipyard, and the Ancient City of Syedra.
“Textile industry uses 93 billion cubic metres of water annually”
Curator Nihat Özdal emphasised the immense water consumption within the textile industry, explaining: “93 billion cubic metres of water are used in the textile industry worldwide each year. It takes 10,000 cubic metres of water for a pair of jeans and 2,500 cubic metres for a cotton t-shirt. 20% of global water pollution comes from textiles, and approximately 100 billion new textile products are introduced to the market every year.”
“Sharing my art where it belongs is an incredible experience”
One of the artists, Özge Kahraman, who is also a researcher with the Anatolian Speleology Group Association (ASPEG), focuses on the artistic and structural aspects of caves.
For the first time, she displayed her work inside a cave and shared her thoughts: “Thanks to the biennial, this dream of mine came true, and my works met with the audience in ‘Yalan Dünya’ Cave. Until now, as someone who explored caves, I always looked from the outside, but this time the cave itself was part of the exhibition. It’s difficult to describe the atmosphere—sharing my art with viewers in the place where I feel it most belongs was an unforgettable experience.”
Other featured artists include Thomas Jackson (USA) and Diana Orving (Sweden).
Jackson noted: “What I love to do is take human-made materials, place them in natural landscapes, and make them mimic nature,” while Orving described: “The themes I explore are based on transformation, movement, and the flow of nature.”
The Second Türkiye Textile Biennial welcomes visitors until 13 April 2025.
