Extinction Rebellion Activists Protest 'Greenwashing' at İstanbul Biennial

Photos: Erhan Demirtaş / Extinction Rebellion

Click to read the article in Turkish

The 16th İstanbul Biennial, titled, "The Seventh Continent," is being held at the İstanbul Museum of Painting, Sculpture and Music in Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts in Beyoğlu, İstanbul.

The Extinction Rebellion activists on Sunday (October 13) staged a protest in front of the museum, demanding institutions of art and culture to "turn their back to fossil fuel companies and their supporters."

Vuvuzelalarımız ve davullarımız 16. İstanbul Bienali'nin önünde "sanata bulaşan petrol" ve yeşil yıkamaya karşı çaldı
Sanat ve kültür platformları fosil yakıtlarla ilişkisini bir an önce kesmeli.

Videonun tamamı: https://t.co/pSgwVXW4bm#InternationalRebellion @ExtinctionR pic.twitter.com/B7kGAuhdRL

— Yokoluş İsyanı (@yokolus_isyani) October 13, 2019

Activists began the protest blowing vuvuzelas, then read a statement that briefly said, "We are here to save our future. The climate crisis affects every one of us and every living species. We are here to protest greenwashing. We, as people who choose to use art and music in their protests, advocate that art should be used freely and for good purposes. Tell the truth! Stop using fossil fuels!"

They then chanted, "Art is contaminated with oil," and began playing drums. At the same time, the activists spilled "oil" made from food dye in front of the building and performed a theatrical death.

(DB/VK)