Demet Muftuoglu & Alphan Eseli, Co-Founders of ISTANBUL’74 announce the launch of new biannual editions of the Istanbul International Arts & Culture Festival (IST. Festival), to premiere in Rome on May 31st-June 2nd 2019.
Curated by Demet Muftuoglu Eseli, Alphan Eseli, Delfina Delettrez Fendi and Nico Vascellari, the IST. FEST. ROME will bring together some of the world’s most talented and creative minds around an inspiring program of panels, talks, exhibitions, performances, screenings and workshops while maintaining its three-day admission-free format.
IST. FEST. ROME will focus on the theme: “Self-Expression in the Post-Truth World.” This edition of IST. Festival sets out to explore the ways in which constant changes in our surrounding habitats affect creative minds and artistic output. The core mission of the theme is to invoke lively debate from today’s arts and culture leaders concerning the struggle between reality and make-believe, while acknowledging digital technology, with its undeniable power and vast reach, as the ultimate tool for self-expression.
Now in its 10th year, IST Festival expands to the city of Rome and extends its reach to what historians consider to be “the Birthplace of Western Civilization.” For centuries, Rome has been the artistic and cultural center of the world, playing host to some of the most impressive art and architecture achieved by human civilization.
Since its inception in 2009, IST. Festival has grown into a highly anticipated cultural event, seeking creatives from different cultures and artistic disciplines to influence one another in unexpected ways, resulting in eclectic conversations and further collaborations between participants.
Past participants of IST. Festival include: Zaha Hadid,Tilda Swinton, Mario Sorrenti, Haider Ackermann, Franca Sozzani, Daniel Arsham, Courtney Love, Gore Vidal, Ryan McGinley, Peter Beard, among many others.
ABOUT IST. INTERNATIONAL ARTS & CULTURE FESTIVAL (IST. FESTIVAL)
IST. International Arts and Culture Festival (IST. Festival) is a three-day admission-free annual festival that started in Istanbul. Since its beginning in 2010, IST. Festival has forged cultural and artistic relations by gathering leading cultural figures from around the globe using the historically diverse city of Istanbul as a stage and meeting point. Starting in 2019, IST. Festival will broaden its reach to a wider global audience with biannual editions in several international cities in Turkey, Europe and the U.S. Attended by writers, directors, actors, filmmakers, musicians, artists, designers and performers, the festival brings together creative minds to discuss their work and how it contributes to the global cultural vocabulary.
ABOUT ISTANBUL’74
Turkey’s leading arts and culture platform ISTANBUL’74 was brought to life in 2009 by Creative Director Demet Muftuoglu Eseli and Filmmaker Alphan Eseli. Taking its name and inspiration from the city that culturally and geographically bridges two continents, ISTANBUL’74 organizes cultural events, festivals, workshops, exhibitions and artistic collaborations with creative thought leaders. In 2018, ISTANBUL’74 opened a second office in New York under the name of ‘74NEWYORK and continues its operations in both cities.
