Founded: 2005

Event Type: Contemporary Art Biennial

Organizing Institution: Sinop Sustainable Development Association

Frequency: Biennial / every two years

Event Scope: Exhibitions, performances, artist talks, workshops, film screenings, and public space projects.

Founded in 2005, Sinopale, International Sinop Biennial – is the name of an international project that brings together civil society within the context of local development, aiming to foster culture- and art-based dialogue through a model of “sharing-based artistic production.”

Formed from the words Sinop and Biennale, Sinopale is not merely a contemporary art exhibition; it is a process-oriented, participatory, and international civil society event.

Held every two years, the project aims to encourage city residents of all ages to re-perceive their living spaces with a future-oriented vision, reflect on urban issues, share a common historical memory, and organize this memory toward artistic production. It seeks to support urban, national, and international collaboration in creating a better social living environment.

"Co-creation"

Building Lasting Relationships Between International Artists and Local Communities

Unlike other biennials, Sinopale does not exhibit pre-made artworks; instead, artists come to Sinop, engage directly with the city and its people, and produce their works together with the local community, creating a collective working process.

With its unique structure shaped by a culture of collective labor (imece), a participatory production model, and a focus on social benefit, Sinopale has, to date, brought together hundreds of artists, researchers, academics, and cultural actors from more than 40 countries in Sinop.

At the same time, the works produced in Sinop by artists participating in Sinopale have been exhibited in numerous international museums and cultural venues.

AMSTERDAM: Artpie Art Fair (2008) – "Living as Form" Conference (2017)
ATHENS: Art Athina, Artathens Talk (2014)
DUBLIN: Contemporary Art Museum (2014) – Networking Day, Irish Museum of Modern Art (2015)
HALLE: Werkleitz Biennale (2013)
LONDON: Goldsmiths, University of London (2013)
LYON: Academy of Participation International Meeting (2015)
VENICE: Venice Biennale Continental Breakfast Meeting (2007)
VIENNA: Artvienna (2012) – Soho in Ottakring (2014)
YOKOHAMA: Yokohama Triennale (2017)
ZURICH: Corner College Exhibition (2015)

"Participatory and Process-Oriented"

Sinopale begins with curators from different countries working together on the conceptual framework and program. The curators take part in every stage — content development, resource development, preparation, and production. This pluralist approach allows not only for shared responsibility but also for decision-making processes to unfold through a collective, participatory mindset.

In order for the event to take place, all infrastructure and organizational work in Sinop is carried out by the people of Sinop themselves. The responsibility for mobilizing and coordinating the individuals and institutions contributing in various ways falls to the Sinop Sustainable Development Association, made up of local volunteers.

Artists hosted from both Türkiye and abroad produce "participatory art" works about Sinop together with the local community during their stay. At the end of the production process, the works are exhibited in various cultural venues across Sinop or in public space.

Alongside the artists' production and exhibition process, numerous accompanying programs take place, including "Sinopale Kids," "Sinopale Academy," "Sinopale Forum," and "Sinopale Film."

"A Non-Profit Structure"

Built on Collective Labor and Volunteerism

Sinopale was born as an entirely non-profit cultural initiative. Since its founding, all of its processes have been carried out through a collective understanding rooted in solidarity, volunteerism, a culture of collective labor (imece), and participation. Bringing together artists from different disciplines, the local community, and various stakeholders, this structure aims to strengthen a culture of producing and sharing together.

The biennial, launched in 2005 by the European Cultural Association, is today coordinated by the Sinop Sustainable Development Association. Throughout this process, the biennial continues to contribute to the city's cultural life by creating a space of encounter and interaction for artists, curators, and cultural producers at both the local and international level.