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Vasıf Kortun was born in 1958. Between 1994 and 1997, he worked as the founding Director of the Museum of the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College. He served as a Director in the Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, Istanbul (2001-2010) and Proje4L Istanbul Museum of Contemporary Art (2001-2004). He was the founding Director of Project Istanbul Museum of Contemporary Art (2001–2003). Kortun has curated numerous exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. He was the chief Curator and Director of the 3rd International Istanbul Biennial (1992) and Co-Director with Charles Esche of the 9th International Istanbul Biennial (2005). He was the co-curator of the Taipei Biennial in 2008. Kortun was also one of the curators of the 24th Sao Paolo Biennial in 1998, Tirana Biennial, and 2nd Ceramics Biennial in Albisola, 2003. He curated the Turkish pavilions for the 1994 and 1998 Sao Paolo Biennials and the 2007 Venice Biennial for which he worked with artist Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin. Kortun has been selected as the curator of the UAE Pavilion for the 2011 Venice Biennale. In 2006, Kortun received the 9th annual award for Curatorial Excellence from the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College.
Kortun has participated in numerous conferences and seminars, and has given many talks. He has also had lots of workshops in Egypt, Denmark, Finland, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Korea, and Russia.
Kortun has written and published many articles and interviews in various art magazines including Mars, NU, Flash Art, Art Asia Pacific, Art Journal, New Art Examiner, Contemporary, Crudelia, and Art Fan. He has also prepared many exhibition catalogues such as the 48th Sao Paolo Biennial, 2nd Johannesburg Biennial, Manifesta 2, 1999, 48th Venice Biennial, 6th Istanbul Biennial, Zeitwenden, and Echolot. He published the book on Turkish Art Scene Jahresring 51: Szene Turkei: Abseits aber Tor, with Erden Kosova in 2004. He was one of the curators for Fresh Cream: 10 Curators 100 Artists published by the Phaidon Press, and has also participated in two recent publications: Curator′s Vade Mecum, Independent Curators International, NY; and Foci: Interviews with ten international Curators (ed. Carolee Thea). Kortun is the editor of an annual contemporary art magazine RG published in Turkish. Currently, he is the programs and research director of SALT Istanbul, which will be opened in Spring 2011.
Reference: apexart.org, tr.wikipedia.org, formerwest.org, universes-in-universe.org, brownbook.ae
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