Walking & Talking with Théo-Mario Coppola

Bige Örer, Théo-Mario Coppola • 3/25/25

• Video Summary

  Walking & Talking, hosted by Istanbul- and London-based curator and organizer Bige Örer, is a series of video-recorded conversational experiences based on walking with each guest curator in the same location or in two different places in the world. Some of these conversations address broad societal, cultural, or philosophical questions, while others may unfold more intimate concerns and flow with inner journeys. The walks are imagined as poems shared between the participants on their shared paths.

  In this thoughtful conversation between Örer and curator and arts writer Théo-Mario Coppola, recorded on November 30, 2024 in Paris, they focus on the notion of “the commons” and how the arts ecosystem can be reimagined with principles of equality, fairness, and transformation. As they walk through the city, starting from Rue du Liban and ending at Rue de Palestine, a meeting point and a destination chosen by Coppola in response to the current geopolitical context, they reflect on the political, social, and cultural dynamics that shape the city’s names and experiences. They explore ideas about redefining the infrastructures of art and exhibition-making as well as the curatorial realm to create a more inclusive and diversity-based approach. The conversation ends with Coppola reading a poem by Mejdulene B. Shomali, “my mother says this would have never happened if we stayed in Palestine,” responding to Örer’s poetic invitation. The video blends more theoretical dialogue with the intimate experience of walking and thinking together, exploring how personal and societal histories influence the world of curating and art.

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• About Théo-Mario Coppola

  Théo-Mario Coppola is a curator and arts writer based in Paris and Vienna. Through their intersectional practice, they support discursive, community- and research-based methodologies by BIPOC, crip, queer, and women art practitioners, and frequently showcase time-based practices, including lens-based works and performances. Seeking to encourage fair and equitable work conditions in the cultural field, Coppola has regularly provided expertise on curatorial and critical affairs, including knowledge building, ethical governance, strategy development, inclusive management, and greater diversity within the context of government ministry advisory groups and sectoral and umbrella organizations. In France, they successfully campaigned for the registration of exhibitions as intellectual work in the French Intellectual Property Code and for the introduction and widespread use of a standard work contract between curators and institutions.

  Among Coppolla’s many activities, they co-organized the “In solidarity with Ukraine” special assembly at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 2022; curated the eleventh edition of the Momentum biennale in Moss, Norway, in 2021; and the third edition of the Nuit Blanche arts festival at Villa Medici in Rome in 2018. Coppola founded and curated HOTEL EUROPA, an annual series of exhibitions and programs (Vilnius, 2017; Brussels, 2018; and Tbilisi, 2019). They have served as the artistic and executive director of Collezione Taurisano, an international private contemporary art collection focused on political art and based in Naples from 2017 to late 2018. In parallel, they were the artistic director of Primo Piano and Intermezzo, two private initiatives supporting international artists through a joint residency and exhibition program in Paris. See https://www.theomariocoppola.xyz for more.

• About Bige Örer

  Bige Örer is an Istanbul- and London-based independent curator and writer dedicated to amplifying the voices and visions of artists. Her curatorial practice is rooted in centering creativity and artistic perspectives, ensuring that artists remain at the heart of every exhibition and project she oversees. From 2008 to 2024, Örer served as the director of the Istanbul Biennial, where she transformed the biennial into a dynamic platform for artistic collaboration and intellectual exchange. She was instrumental in developing programs that broadened the biennial’s reach, particularly focusing on children and youth, while fostering artistic engagement throughout Turkey and internationally. In 2022, Örer curated Once upon a time…, the Füsun Onur exhibition at the Pavilion of Turkey for the 59th Venice Biennale. Her curatorial projects also include Flâneuses (Institut français Istanbul, 2017), an ongoing series involving walks with artists. Örer played a key role in establishing the Istanbul Biennial Production and Research Program, the SaDe Artist Support Fund, and coordinated initiatives such as the Cité des Arts Turkey Workshop Artist Residency Program and the Turkish Pavilion at the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions of the Venice Biennale. Örer has contributed articles to numerous publications and taught at Istanbul Bilgi University. She has also served as a consultant and jury member for various international art institutions, and from 2013 to 2024, she was the vice president of the International Biennial Association. During this time, she also contributed to the editorial and programming board of the association’s journal, PASS. She is a member of the Curatorial Studies Workshop, part of the Expanded Artistic Research Network (EARN).

Walking & Talking with Alia Swastika

Bige Örer, Alia Swastika • 2/1/25

• Video Summary

  Walking & Talking, hosted by Istanbul- and London-based curator and organizer Bige Örer, is a series of video-recorded conversational experiences based on walking with each guest curator in the same location or in two different places in the world. Some of these conversations address broad societal, cultural, or philosophical questions, while others may unfold more intimate concerns and flow with inner journeys. The walks are imagined as poems shared between the participants on their shared paths.

  We begin with a conversation recorded last June (new conversations will launch soon). In this insightful conversation with Alia Swastika—a curator, writer, and researcher based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia—she shares her curatorial journey, emphasizing her focus on decoloniality and feminism. As she strolls through the streets of Yogyakarta, while Örer does the same in London, Swastika reflects on how the political upheaval during the fall of Suharto's regime in 1998 shaped her perspectives on art and politics. She discusses feeling isolated in high school due to her peers' lack of political interest, leading her to spend time in libraries and art galleries where she engaged deeply with political movements and artistic expression. She then delves into her work with the Jogja Biennial and the Equator Biennial, highlighting efforts to reconnect with the Global South and foster collaborations among artists from regions with shared colonial histories. Swastika speaks about her methodologies and challenges as a co-curator for the upcoming Sharjah Biennial, aiming to create meaningful, interconnected projects that explore themes of collectivism, individuality, and transnational feminist connections. Throughout the conversation, the dialogue emphasizes the importance of creating spaces for critical perspectives, multiplying narratives, and supporting marginalized voices in the art world.

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• About Alia Swastika

  Alia Swastika is a curator, researcher, and writer whose practice over the last ten years has expanded on issues and perspectives of decoloniality and feminism. Her different projects involve decentralizing art, rewriting art history, and encouraging local activism. She works as the Director of the Biennale Jogja Foundation, Yogyakarta, and has focused her research on Indonesian female artists during Indonesia’s New Order. Some of this research was published in 2019. Swastika established and was the program director for Ark Galerie, Yogyakarta (2007–2017). She was co-curator for the Biennale Jogja XI Equator #1 (2011); co-artistic director of the 9th Gwangju Biennale (2012); and roundtable curator for contemporary art exhibitions for the Europalia Arts Festival (2017), including presentations at Oude Kerk, Amsterdam; M HKA, Antwerp; and SMAK Ghent, Belgium. 

• About Bige Örer

  Bige Örer is an Istanbul- and London-based independent curator and writer dedicated to amplifying the voices and visions of artists. Her curatorial practice is rooted in centering creativity and artistic perspectives, ensuring that artists remain at the heart of every exhibition and project she oversees. From 2008 to 2024, Örer served as the director of the Istanbul Biennial, where she transformed the biennial into a dynamic platform for artistic collaboration and intellectual exchange. She was instrumental in developing programs that broadened the biennial’s reach, particularly focusing on children and youth, while fostering artistic engagement throughout Turkey and internationally. In 2022, Örer curated Once upon a time…, the Füsun Onur exhibition at the Pavilion of Turkey for the 59th Venice Biennale. Her curatorial projects also include Flâneuses (Institut français Istanbul, 2017), an ongoing series involving walks with artists. Örer played a key role in establishing the Istanbul Biennial Production and Research Program, the SaDe Artist Support Fund, and coordinated initiatives such as the Cité des Arts Turkey Workshop Artist Residency Program and the Turkish Pavilion at the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions of the Venice Biennale. Örer has contributed articles to numerous publications and taught at Istanbul Bilgi University. She has also served as a consultant and jury member for various international art institutions, and from 2013 to 2024, she was the vice president of the International Biennial Association. During this time, she also contributed to the editorial and programming board of the association’s journal, PASS. She is a member of the Curatorial Studies Workshop, part of the Expanded Artistic Research Network (EARN).