The second Türkiye Textile Biennial is currently underway, featuring a collection of international artists exhibiting their works in historic venues across Antalya. With the theme “Wave Fabric,” curator Nihat Özdal invites visitors to explore the deep connection between textiles and water. The event will run until 13 April 2025.
Taking place from 22 February to 13 April, the biennial is hosted by the Gazipaşa District Governorship and spans multiple historic sites in Gazipaşa and Alanya. Among the key locations are 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 highlighted the pressing issue of water consumption in the textile industry, stating: “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”
Artist Özge Kahraman, who is also a researcher at the Anatolian Speleology Group Association (ASPEG), investigates the historical and artistic aspects of caves.
Reflecting on her first exhibition in a cave, Kahraman expressed: “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.”
Also participating in the biennial are American artist Thomas Jackson and Swedish textile artist Diana Orving.
Jackson described his artistic process: “What I love to do is take human-made materials, place them in natural landscapes, and make them mimic nature,” while Orving shared: “The themes I explore are based on transformation, movement, and the flow of nature.”
The Second Türkiye Textile Biennial will remain open to visitors until 13 April 2025.
