II. TURKISH TEXTILE BIENNIAL

GAZIPASA/ALANYA 2025

• Conceptual Framework of “Wave Fabric”
  Organized in the historic Gazipaşa and Alanya districts of Antalya on the Mediterranean coast of Antalya, this year’s Turkish Textile Biennial presents a new context for the art of weaving and human history with the title “Wave Fabric”. The selection of sites such as the ancient cities of Selinus and Lamos, the Cave of the Lying World, the Red Tower and the Alanya Shipyard emphasizes the biennial as a platform for exploring the deep connections between history, nature and humanity.
• Wave and Fabric: The Rhythm of Nature and Humanity
  The wave is a metaphor for the never-ending movement of the Mediterranean, the way it touches the shores and the traces it leaves on the stones over time. Fabric, on the other hand, represents man’s ability to take natural materials and put them into an order, creating both a tangible and a metaphorical memory. At the intersection of these two elements, the Biennial explores the relationships between the rhythm of the wave and the looped order of weaving. In this context, textile production becomes not just a material as a means of artistic expression, but a repository of memory that combines the movements of nature and human labor.
• Ecological Perspective: The Cycle of Water and Fabric
  “Wave Fabric,” a call to explore the ecological links between nature and textiles. The water resources of the Mediterranean and the role they have historically played in silk production and the craft of weaving give the biennial an ecological dimension. Water plays a primary role in all stages of production, from the dyeing of fabric to the preparation of vegetable fibers. Today, however, the depletion of water resources and the environmental impact of the textile industry add an eco-philosophical depth to the biennial’s discussion areas.
• Memory: The Fabric of Time and Space
  The selected sites are repositories of memory that carry the voices of the past. The ancient cities of Selinus and Lamos point to the deep-rooted history of silk and weaving culture, while structures such as the Kızıl Kule and Alanya Tersanesi bear the traces of Mediterranean trade and cultural exchange. The Cave of Yalan Dünya, a space shaped by the slow but constant movement of nature, evokes the aging, change and transformation of fabric over time. Through these spaces, the Biennial aims to reinterpret the textures of the past from the perspective of contemporary art.
• The Wave and the Philosophy of Fabric: Movement and Stability
  Wave and fabric express the relationship between movement and constancy on a philosophical plane. While the wave represents constant change and transience, the fabric is man’s attempt to capture and organize this mobility. The theme of the biennial brings together the cyclical movements of nature and the human search for permanence, creating a space where these opposites can exist harmoniously.
• Art and Weaving: Stitch Stories
  Weaving is not only a physical craft, but also a form of storytelling. The theme of the biennial, “Wave Fabric,” emphasizes that textiles are a carrier of memory and story. Just as the touch of the wave on the shore leaves a mark, each stitch carries a story. Using this theme, artists can create new meanings of both individual and collective memories.
• The Spirit of the Mediterranean: Borders and Connections
  By its very nature, the Mediterranean is an area of constant mobility. This mobility refers to the transboundary character of both water and fabric. While the wave connects the coasts, the fabric weaves the trade routes together as a means of intercultural communication. In this context, the Biennial considers the Mediterranean not as a border but as a connector.Turkish Textile Biennial 2025, with the title “Wave Fabric”, aims to create a platform that questions the creative relationship between nature and human beings and addresses the historical and cultural richness of the Mediterranean with a contemporary interpretation.