BILLBOARD ISTANBUL 5.–18. October 2020

BILLBOARD ISTANBUL 2020 is a two-week long exhibition in the public space of Istanbul that brings together and exhibit 115 Turkish, Moroccan and Nordic contemporary female artists and selected students from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts in Istanbul. From October 5th-18th, 2020 the billboards will be full of photographic images by the female artist – raising awareness and encouraging public debates on gender issues, as well as bringing contemporary art to a wider audience of all genders and ages.

BILLBOARD ISTANBUL 2020 provides a more prominent, public site for very different stories and images than the advertising that dominates the streets of many cities worldwide. The project gives women the opportunity to express themselves on their own terms, and makes the city more open and creative city – for everyone. The aim is to build bridges between cultures and to challenge our ideas around urban space, gender and identity. The billboards are an important statement, making the work of women artists from Turkey, Morocco and Scandinavia visible, and celebrating the kind of energy we need more than ever in these times.

CONCEPT AND PRODUCTION: The billboard project is the idea and concept developed by the Danish visual artist Hanne Lise Thomsen. Her art and projects focus primarily on dialogue with the surrounding society: the metropolis provides the platform for many of her projects. The complexity of cities, with their constantly changing atmosphere and multifaceted architectural spaces, is a key starting point and source of inspiration, and guides the overall choreography of each individual project.

Thomsen has curated and realized BILLBOARD FESTIVAL CASABLANCA in 2015, the Billboard project WE ARE FROM HERE in Ramallah in 2012, and the citywide billboard project WOMEN2003 in Copenhagen and Malmö in 2003. The project is launched in collaboration with curator Lise Grüner Bertelsen and graphic designer Jeanne Betak.
WEBSITE: https://www.billboardistanbul.org – the location of all the billboards in the city with links to each artist’s image and work.

CONTACT: For further information, press images and interview contacts please contact:h.l.thomsen@get2net.dk, lise.grunerbertelsen@gmail.com

BILLBOARD Istanbul 2020 is supported by: The Danish Arts Foundation's Project Committee, the Nordic Culture Fund and DID, Grosserer L. F. Foghts Fond, Royal Dansh Embassy in Ankara, Ernst B. Sund Fonden. Collaborators: Danish Cultural Institute, Kentvizyon

Special thanks to: Visuel artist Arzu Yayıntaş

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
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TURKEY
Sezgi Abalı, Elçin Acun, Gülçin Aksoy, İpek Balkı, Derin Bilecenoğlu, Sena Başöz, CANAN, Selen Çatalyürekli, Şafak Çatalbaş, Elmas Deniz, Gökçe Erhang, Merve Ertufan, Kardelen Fincancı, Zuhal Koçan, Büşra Öğüt, Ekin Özbiçer, Gümüş Özdeş, Neriman Polat, Senem Sinem, Özlem Şimşek, Gunes Terkol, Tuğçe Ulugün Tuna, Gülbeste Tülü, Tuğba Uzun, Hande Varsat, Selim Wutzler, Arzu Yayıntaş, Cansu Yildiran, Müge Yilmaz.

DENMARK
Bodil Andersen, Kristina Ask, Jeanne Betak, Katja Bjørn, Christina Capetillo, Sidse Carstens, Ursula Reuter Christiansen, Charlotte Haslund-Christensen, Rikke Diemer, Sophie Dupont, Jeannette Ehlers, Rose Eken, Tina Enghoff, Biba Fibiger, Rosa Marie Frang, Signe Maria Friis, Fryd Frydendahl, Cecile Gravesen, Marianne Grønnov, Gudrun Hasle, Molly Haslund, Ane Henriksen, Nanna Gro Henningsen, Lisbeth Hermansen, Lea Guldditte Hestelund, Dorte Jelstrup, Mette Kit Jensen, Mette Gitz-Johansen, Ditte Haarløv Johnsen, Kirsten Justesen, Sophia Kalkau, Randi og Katrine, Malene Landgreen, Madeleine Kate MCGowan, Astrid Myntekær, Lene Adler Petersen, Carina Randløv, Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, Pulsk Ravn, Jytte Rex, Ane Mette Ruge, Samara Sallam Jeanette Land Schou, Trine Søndergaard, Malene List Thomsen, Ida Dorthea Thorrud, Hanne Lise Thomsen, Charlotte Troldahl, Gina Zaharias, Simone Kærn Aaberg.

MOROCCO
Sofia Alaoui, Yasmina Benabderrahmane, Hind Bensari, Touda Bouanani, Celine Croze, Safaa Erruas, Soukeina Hachem, Yasmine Hajji, Wafae Ahalouch el Keriasti, Randa Maroufi Safaa Mazirh, Fatima Mazmouz, Raja Saddiki, Zara Samiry, Fatiha Zemmouri.

SWEDEN
Elisabeth Apelmo, Anette Abrahamsson, Hilda Ekeroth, Maria Finn, Astrid Göransson, Marit Lindberg, Annika Ström, Lisa Strømbeck, Cecilia Wendt, Karin Westerlund.

FINLAND
Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Elina Brotherus, Heta Kuchka, Vilma Pimenoff, Aurora Reinhard.

NORWAY
Hilde Honerud, Lotte Konow Lund, Beathe C. Rønning, Christel Sverre.

ICELAND
The Icelandic Love Corporation.

GREENLAND
Julie Edel Hardenberg.