Dezeen Wire: editor-in-chief of Domus magazine Joseph Grima and Istanbul architect Emre Arolat have been appointed to curate the inaugural Istanbul Design Biennial, which will take place from 13 October to 12 December 2012.

Above: Joseph Grima

Watch our movie interview with Grima from 2009 on Dezeen Screen.

Above: Emre Arolat

Here are some more details from the Biennial organisers:

EMRE AROLAT AND JOSEPH GRIMA APPOINTED CURATORS OF THE ISTANBUL DESIGN BIENNIAL

Emre Arolat and Joseph Grima have been appointed as the curators of the first Istanbul Design Biennial, which will be realized between 13 October - 12 December 2012 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.

The curators, invited by the Istanbul Design Biennial, will independently interpret the theme “Imperfection”, which was adopted at the suggestion of Deyan Sudjic, Director of The Design Museum in London, who is also a member of the biennial's advisory board. Emre Arolat and Joseph Grima will present two different approaches within the framework of the biennial theme. The framework of their curatorial studies will be announced at the beginning of 2012.

Emre Arolat studied architecture at Mimar Sinan University, and co-founded Emre Arolat Architects (EAA) with Gonca Paşolar in 2004. Arolat, who has held the presidential membership in ISMD, is a member of TMMOB Chamber of Architects. He has had teaching experiences at architectural design studios and as a project jury at several universities in Turkey. His projects with EAA have won many national and international awards, including "2006 AR Awards for Emerging Architecture, Highly Commended", "2009 Europe & African Property Awards " Emirates Glass Leaf Awards 2009", "Cityscape Dubai Awards", "2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture", "2011 MIPIM AR Future Projects Awards" and "2011 Green Good Design Awards". Arolat's essays and articles have been published in various occupational publications. He has contributed to EAA's books, Dalaman Airport, Emre Arolat: Buildings / Projects 1998-2005, and " …with regard to".

Joseph Grima is a Milan-based architect, editor, writer and curator. He is the editor of Domus, the internationally renowned magazine of contemporary architecture, design and art founded by Gio Ponti in Milan. He is the former director of Storefront for Art and Architecture, a non-profit gallery and events space in New York City devoted to the advancement of innovative positions in art and architecture. His work has been presented at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Experimenta, the New Museum (NYC) among others. He has edited and contributed to a wide range of books, magazines and periodicals including Abitare, Volume, Bracket, Urban China and New Geographies, and has taught and lectured in Europe and America, most recently at the Streka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design in Moscow. He currently sits on the advisory board of the Vitra Design Museum and the Shorefast Foundation.

About The Istanbul Design Biennial

Istanbul Design Biennial, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts between 13 October – 12 December 2012, explores a wide range of fields, from urban design (environmental, urban and regional planning) to architecture, interior, industrial, graphic, fashion, textile and new media design and all creative fields related to these professions. Exhibitions, thematic installations, workshops, seminars and presentations organised within the scope of the biennial will be linked by the unifying theme of the first biennial: Imperfection.

An announcement concerning the open call for entries will be made in December 2011. In the first half of 2012, pre-events such as workshops and seminars for university students and professionals in the creative industries will be organised during the preparation process of the biennial.
Eren Holding, Koray Group of Companies and VitrA undertakes the co-sponsorship of the Istanbul Design Biennial.

The Istanbul Design Biennial Advisory Board Members are Associate Professor Mr. Mehmet Asatekin, Industrial designer, Faculty Member at Bahçeşehir University; Mr. George Beylerian, Founder and the CEO of Material ConneXion; Mr. Levent Çalıkoğlu, Art Historian, Chief curator at Istanbul Modern; Prof. John Heskett, Dean of Design Faculty at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Ms. Defne Koz, Industrial Designer, Founder of Defne Koz Studio; Mr. Faruk Malhan, Architect, founder of Koleksiyon Mobilya; Ms. Sevil Peach, Founder of Sevil Peach Architecture & Design; Mr. Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum in London; Prof. Ilhan Tekeli, Honorary Member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences; Mr. Alexander von Vegesack, Chairman of the Board of Vitra Design Foundation.