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Işın Önol

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Işın Önol
Born1977 (age 46–47)
Turkey
NationalityTurkish, Austrian
EducationMFA, Sabancı University; MAS in Curating, Zürich University of the Arts
Alma materSabancı University, Zürich University of the Arts
Occupation(s)Curator, Writer
Years active2006–present
Employer(s)School of Visual Arts, Nesin Art Village
Known forCuratorial research, Archival practices, Socially engaged art

Işın Önol (born 1977, alternative spelling: Isin Onol) is a New York City and Vienna-based Turkish and Austrian curator of contemporary art. She currently serves as the Director of Curatorial Research at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Between 2006 and 2009, she served as the Director and Curator at Proje4L/Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art. She is known for her curatorial research focusing on archival information and oral histories, as well as for establishing the Nesin Art Village in Turkey.[1][2]

Early life and education

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Işın Önol was born in 1977 in Turkey. She holds an MAS in Curating from Zürich University of the Arts (2009–2011)[3] and an MFA in Visual Arts & Visual Communication Design from Sabancı University, Istanbul (2000–2003).[4] She also participated in the Postgraduate International Curatorial Training Program at L’École du Magasin in Grenoble, France, and in the First Gwangju Biennale International Curatorial Training Program in South Korea in 2009.[5]

Exhibitions and projects

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  • The Zip Code Memory Project (2020–2022): The Zip Code Memory Project, an initiative based at Columbia University, has played a significant role in addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable communities in New York City. The New York Times described the project as an effort to "use art to help New York heal, particularly from the disparate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities." [6] The project focuses on community engagement, addressing collective grief and rage through workshops, public events, and the Imagine Repair exhibition, which was curated by Işın Önol at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.[7] Additionally, the project's methodology combines artistic and theatrical practices with a broad theoretical and holistic understanding of trauma and grief. As described in an article from CulturaUNAM, the project "combina las prácticas artísticas y teatrales con una amplia comprensión teórica y holística del trauma, el duelo, la memoria corporal, y hemos pedido a artistas que propongan talleres abiertos a los participantes, concebidos como co-creadores" (combines artistic and theatrical practices with a broad theoretical and holistic understanding of trauma, grief, and bodily memory, asking artists to propose workshops open to participants, conceived as co-creators).[8] Participating artists included Kamal Badhey, Jordan Cruz, Maria José Contreras, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Chelsea Knight, Susan Meiselas, Lorie Novak, Desiree Rios, Carrie Mae Weems, Deborah Willis, and participants of the Zip Code Memory Project. Performers and speakers included Alicia Grullon, Marie Howe, Fred Moten, Amyra Léon, Rev. Juan Carlos Ruiz, George Emilio Sanchez, Noni Carter, Imani Uzuri, and a concert by Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir.
  • Sinopale - International Sinop Biennial: Önol has been a key figure in the Sinopale, the International Sinop Biennial in Sinop, Turkey, serving on the curatorial and organizational team during the 2012,[9] 2014, and 2021-2022 editions. The biennial is known for its focus on socially engaged art practices that involve local communities and address issues of cultural memory and identity.[10]
  • Bilgé: Lifespan of a Horizontal Line (2023): In February 2023, Önol curated this posthumous exhibition of Turkish-American artist Bilgé Friedlaender at SAPAR Contemporary in New York City. The exhibition is a collaboration with the artist's estate and focuses on rare and previously unseen works on paper from the 1970s.[11]
  • Words Numbers Lines: Work of Bilgé Friedlaender (2016–2017): Held at Arter in Istanbul, this comprehensive retrospective exhibition presented the minimalist work of Bilgé Friedlaender from the 1970s, focusing on her artistic vocabulary and “her use of basic forms and shapes to ask complex questions.” TRT World highlighted the exhibition as showcasing "Bilgé Friedlaender's solo exhibition entitled 'Words, Numbers, Lines' between 14 October 2016 and 15 January 2017."[12] As noted in Frieze, the exhibition "covers a momentous decade (1975–83) of her underappreciated practice, exposing the personal vocabulary she developed in her eponymous 1977 artist’s book, including ‘string’, ‘tear’ and ‘torn’."[13] In his article *Art that Resists Being Pigeonholed by Nationality* in Hyperallergic, Ari Akkermans wrote, “Escaping from the rigid formalism of classical art school, finding a space of freedom in the hard-edge abstraction of 1960s America (...) and working outside the studio, collecting materials from the world; they rejected the analytical figuration prevalent in Turkey at the time. In terms of reception, Friedlaender was very active in the US during the crucial 60s, she was based outside of New York City, and she was virtually unknown until her ARTER exhibition in 2016."[14]
  • When Home Won't Let You Stay (2016): This exhibition, held in Vienna, addressed urgent issues of displacement, human rights, and the politics of coexistence. The project involved close collaboration with individuals from Syria and Iraq who had fled their homes, using art to create spaces of empathy and understanding amidst a humanitarian crisis.[15]
  • Women Mobilizing Memory (2014–2019): This multi-year, transdisciplinary project explored the intersection of memory, trauma, and social activism, with exhibitions and events held in various cities around the world. The project focused on how women mobilize memory to address global human rights issues, particularly in contexts of violence and displacement.[16]
    • Women Mobilizing Memory: Women Witnessing (2014): Held at Depo in Istanbul, Turkey, from September 5 to October 3, 2014, this iteration of the project focused on feminist interpretations of memory and witnessing. The exhibition was covered by N.Paradoxa in an interview with curators Ayse Gül Altinay and Işın Önol, where they discussed the significance of feminist approaches to memory.[17] Other articles include Agos, which featured an article titled "Feminist bir hafıza okuması" (A Feminist Reading of Memory) by Tugba Esen,[18] and Cornucopia, which reviewed the exhibition in "Gallery Walkabout, Tophane."[19]
    • Mobilizing Memory – Vienna (2015): The Vienna iteration took place at Kunsthalle Exnergasse, WUK, from March 18 to April 3, 2015. This exhibition commemorated the Armenian Genocide and explored how memory can serve as a form of resistance. The exhibition received significant media coverage in Austria, including interviews and reviews on ORF 1 Kultur, ORF 1 Europa Journal, ORF Diversity, and Die Presse. An English translation of Die Presse's review, "'Mobilizing Memory:’ Armenian Women Who Don't Forget," was provided by Alyssa Greene.[20]
    • Women Mobilizing Memory: Arts of Intervention (2019): This iteration took place at Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, on June 26–27, 2019, under the title "Arts of Intervention." The project was covered by Spanish media, including an article in Publico titled "La Generación de la Posmemoria – Marianne Hirsch: ‘La revisión del pasado nos permite un futuro más justo’" by Carolina Espinoza,[21] and another in El Pais titled "Las artistas se niegan a perder la memoria de las mujeres" by Peio H. Riaño.[22]
    • Collaborative Archives: Connective Histories (2015): Held at LeRoy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, from September 8 to 18, 2015, this exhibition examined the role of collaborative archives in connecting historical narratives across different communities. This project continued the exploration of memory as a tool for social and political engagement, particularly in the context of collective histories.[23][24]

Selected publications

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  • "The Pebble’s Precedence" (September 2024): Essay in Yasemin Özcan's solo exhibition publication Wet Floor, which will be on view at Arter's ground floor gallery from 19 September 2024 to 6 April 2025. A publication which includes texts by Evrim Kaya, Işın Önol, and Kaya Genç, as well as an interview between the curator and the artist accompanied the exhibition.[25]
  • "On Challenging the Grotesqueness of Normalcy" (May 2024): Essay in Ipek Duben’s Monograph İpek Duben: The Skin, Body and I, edited by Vasif Kortun and published by Salt Istanbul. “Önol approaches Duben’s 'in-betweenness' about the socioeconomic, political, and artistic contexts of Turkey and the USA, where the artist has lived for extended periods.”[26]
  • "Conditions of Objection" (May 2021): Essay in “Mario Rizzi: Bayt” Centro Pecci. “With an interview by Cristiana Perrella to Mario Rizzi, critical essays by Hamid Dabashi, Stephanie Bailey, Isin Önol, and Simone Frangi, and further documentary material.”[27]
  • "Flamboyant Transparency" (November 2020): This book chapter is included in Maja Vukoje. On the Edge, a catalogue published on the occasion of Maja Vukoje's most comprehensive solo exhibition at Belvedere 21 in Vienna. The text explores Vukoje's distinct artistic language, which focuses on the mixture and fusion of elements from different cultures as visual motifs.[28]
  • “Blank: An Attempt at a Conversation" (August 2019): A collaborative book chapter co-authored with Susan Meiselas, with contributions by Bilal, Zarife Bitim, Leyla Demir, Nejbir Erkol, Elif Kaya, and Zeynep Öztap. This chapter is part of Women Mobilizing Memory, a book that “emerges from a multiyear feminist collaboration bringing together an interdisciplinary group of scholars, artists, and activists from Chile, Turkey, and the United States. The essays in this book assemble and discuss a deep archive of works that activate memory across a variety of protest cultures, ranging from seemingly minor acts of defiance to broader resistance movements.”[29]
  • "Art Production in Turkey from the 1980s to Today" (July 2018): An interview with Hale Tenger conducted by Işın Önol, featured in the book Authoritarianism and Resistance in Turkey: Conversations on Democratic and Social Challenges. This book brings together critical analyses of Turkey's recent history, addressing key issues such as gender inequality, Islamism, and urban regeneration. The interview format allows for a concise yet insightful exploration of Turkey's complex ideologies and events, featuring perspectives from leading Turkish intellectuals and academics.[30]

Academic roles

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  • Lecturer, School of Visual Arts, MA Curatorial Practice, New York (2023 to Present): Currently, Önol teaches classes on exhibition-making practices and guides MA students in both their thesis development and thesis exhibitions.[31]
  • Guest Professor, University of Applied Arts, Vienna (2016–2017, 2022–2023): Önol has served as a guest professor, critic, and curator at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, where she taught courses on curatorial practices, community engagement, and socially engaged art.[32]
  • Research Scholar, Columbia University (2016–2022): From 2016 to 2022, Önol was a research scholar at the Center for the Study of Social Difference at Columbia University in New York, where she contributed to research on memory, trauma, and socially engaged art practices.[33]
  • Visiting Critic & Lecturer, Montclair State University (2017–2022): As a visiting lecturer between 2017 and 2022, Önol taught various graduate and undergraduate courses, including studio classes focused on social justice and community engagement, as well as theoretical classes on art history in "Non-Western Societies." In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she served as a critic and thesis advisor to MFA students. In 2018, Önol curated the MFA thesis exhibition titled Fragility of Kin.[34]

Associations and memberships

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Işın Önol is a member of several professional organizations, including the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art (IKT) and the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). She also served on the Board of Directors of the Roberto Cimetta Fund, which supports the mobility of artists in the Mediterranean region from 2018 to 2024.[35]

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References

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  1. ^ "Nesin Art Village". nesinkoyleri.org. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  2. ^ Esen, Tugba (2016-08-05). "Köyde hayata geçen bir düş: Sanat Yazokulu" [A dream that has come true in a village: Art summer school]. Agos. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  3. ^ "MAS in Curating". Zürich University of the Arts. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  4. ^ "MFA in Visual Arts". Sabancı University. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  5. ^ "L'École du Magasin". L’École du Magasin. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  6. ^ The Editorial Board (March 10, 2022). "Why New York Needs a Covid Memorial". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  7. ^ Jillian Steinhauer (May 5, 2022). "Covid Memorials Offer a Place to Put Our Grief". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  8. ^ Scarlet Rubí (November 23, 2021). "El performance como práctica reparadora del trauma y la memoria". CulturaUNAM. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  9. ^ Kiger, Rumeysa (August 27, 2012). "Sinopale keeping collective memory alive through art". Today's Zaman Newspaper. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  10. ^ "Sinopale Biennial". Sinopale. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  11. ^ "Bilgé: Lifespan of a Horizontal Line". Sapar Contemporary. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  12. ^ "Showcase: Bilge Friedlaender Exhibition - Words, Numbers, Lines". TRT World. October 18, 2016. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  13. ^ Gökcan Demirkazık (November 7, 2016). "Nil Yalter and Bilge Friedlaender". Frieze. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  14. ^ Ari Akkermans (June 22, 2018). "Art that Resists Being Pigeonholed by Nationality". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  15. ^ "When Home Won't Let You Stay". Gewinn. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  16. ^ "Women Mobilizing Memory". Columbia University. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  17. ^ Deepwell, Katy (January 2015). "Mobilizing Memory: Interview with Ayse Gül Altinay and Isin Onol". N.Paradoxa. 35: 31–39.
  18. ^ Tugba Esen (September 2014). "Feminist bir hafıza okuması". Agos. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  19. ^ "Gallery Walkabout, Tophane". Cornucopia. September 2014. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  20. ^ Anne-Catherine Simon (March 2015). "Mobilizing Memory: Armenian Women Who Don't Forget". Die Presse. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  21. ^ Carolina Espinoza (June 30, 2019). "La Generación de la Posmemoria". Publico. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  22. ^ Peio H. Riaño (June 27, 2019). "Las artistas se niegan a perder la memoria de las mujeres". El Pais. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  23. ^ "Collaborative Archives: Connective Histories". Columbia University. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  24. ^ Kiger, Rumeysa (September 11, 2015). "New York exhibition delves into memories of violence". Today's Zaman. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  25. ^ "Wet Floor". Arter. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  26. ^ "İpek Duben: The Skin, Body and I". Salt Istanbul. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  27. ^ "Mario Rizzi: Bayt". Centro Pecci. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  28. ^ "Maja Vukoje. On the Edge". Belvedere. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  29. ^ "Women Mobilizing Memory". Columbia University Press. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  30. ^ "Authoritarianism and Resistance in Turkey". Springer. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  31. ^ "MA Curatorial Practice Faculty". School of Visual Arts. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  32. ^ "University of Applied Arts Vienna Faculty". University of Applied Arts Vienna. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  33. ^ "Center for the Study of Social Difference Research Scholars". Columbia University. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  34. ^ "Fragility of Kin: MFA Thesis Exhibition". Montclair State University. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  35. ^ "Roberto Cimetta Fund Board Members". Roberto Cimetta Fund. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
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