The poster for the International Textile Biannial — Kültür Park ... Alsancak, İzmir.

The former Pakistan Pavilion ... home of the scissors exhibit — Kültür Park ... Alsancak, İzmir.

Mom taking advantage of a shade tree — Kültür Park ... Alsancak, İzmir.

Inner courtyard of the Pakistan Pavilion — Kültür Park ... Alsancak, İzmir.

Mom checking out the İzmir Province map that shows the location of cities of antiquity.

Candle Scissors — Kültür Park ... Alsancak, İzmir.

Ottoman Period scissors — Kültür Park ... Alsancak, İzmir.

Etched scissors from Karamanlıca — Kültür Park ... Alsancak, İzmir.

International Textile Biennial: Scissors

September 21, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

What took Mom, Aylin, and me to Kültürpark was the International Textile Biennial, which is being hosted by the İzmir Municipality.

The exhibits are on display at various venues around the city, two of which are at pavilions in Kültürpark … a short 5-minute walk from Mom’s apartment. We decided to check these out first to decide if we wanted to go further afield in the upcoming weeks to see some of the other exhibits.

The theme of the Textile Biennial is “… Slow down, Focus on the Touch.” Meticulously handcrafted fabric art is intended to remind the audience of the power and meaning of textiles, and highlight sustainable and ethical practices. Quotes on the walls of the venues are designed to encourage this mindset.

The first exhibit, housed in the former Pakistan Pavilion built in 1938 — during the heyday of the İzmir International Fair (mentioned in the previous footprint) — was a small one. Four glass cases displayed scissors from various time periods. Interesting … but what was to come would really capture our attention.Read more