The second Türkiye Textile Biennial is now open, welcoming visitors to experience the interplay between textiles and water in historic venues across Antalya. Curated by Nihat Özdal, this year’s theme, “Wave Fabric,” highlights the environmental and artistic significance of water in the textile industry. The biennial will run until 13 April 2025.

Running from 22 February to 13 April, the biennial is hosted by the Gazipaşa District Governorship and takes place across several historic locations in Gazipaşa and Alanya. Venues include the Ancient Cities of Selinus and Lamos, Yalan Dünya Cave, the Red Tower, Alanya Shipyard, and the Ancient City of Syedra.

“Textile industry uses 93 billion cubic metres of water annually”

Curator Nihat Özdal underscored the environmental impact of textile production, stating: “93 billion cubic metres of water are used in the textile industry worldwide each year. It takes 10,000 cubic metres of water for a pair of jeans and 2,500 cubic metres for a cotton t-shirt. 20% of global water pollution comes from textiles, and approximately 100 billion new textile products are introduced to the market every year.”

“Sharing my art where it belongs is an incredible experience”

Artist Özge Kahraman, a researcher with the Anatolian Speleology Group Association (ASPEG), studies the historical and aesthetic elements of caves.

Exhibiting her work in a cave for the first time, she described her experience: “Thanks to the biennial, this dream of mine came true, and my works met with the audience in ‘Yalan Dünya’ Cave. Until now, as someone who explored caves, I always looked from the outside, but this time the cave itself was part of the exhibition. It’s difficult to describe the atmosphere—sharing my art with viewers in the place where I feel it most belongs was an unforgettable experience.”

Also exhibiting at the biennial are Thomas Jackson from the United States and Swedish textile artist Diana Orving.

Jackson remarked: “What I love to do is take human-made materials, place them in natural landscapes, and make them mimic nature,” while Orving reflected: “The themes I explore are based on transformation, movement, and the flow of nature.”

The Second Türkiye Textile Biennial will continue to receive visitors until 13 April 2025.