Walking & Talking with Jacqueline E. Burckhardt
Bige Örer, Jacqueline E. Burckhardt • 6/17/25
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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 episode, recorded in London on December 10, 2024, Örer speaks with curator Jacqueline E. Burckhardt. Their conversation centers on the idea of “writing” and how Burckhardt’s 2022 publication, La mia commedia dell’arte, brought out by Edition Patrick Frey (Zürich), reveals her multifaceted approach to engaging with art. Together, they reflect on the legacy of the influential art magazine Parkett, which Burckhardt co-founded, and discuss the dynamics and challenges of curatorial work—particularly in the context of artist commissions and research-driven projects. The episode concludes with Burckhardt reading Meret Oppenheim’s poem “Faithful Captain,” offered in response to Örer’s poetic invitation.
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Jacqueline E. Burckhardt is a curator, writer, and art historian whose work spans the fields of restoration, editorial practice, public art, and art education. She has long focused on fostering interdisciplinary dialogue between contemporary art, architecture, and cultural institutions. She co-founded and co-edited the influential art magazine Parkett (1984–2017), a platform for international artistic exchange. From 1999 to 2006, Burkhardt served as president of the Swiss Federal Commission for the Arts, and between 2004 and 2008, she taught at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio, Switzerland. She also curated site-specific commissions for the Novartis Campus in Basel (2005–2015) and from 2008 to 2016, she was director of the Summer Academy at the Zentrum Paul Klee. Trained as a conservator at the Istituto Centrale del Restauro in Rome, she holds a PhD in art history from the University of Zurich. In 2024, the English edition of her book My Commedia dell’arte, also from Edition Patrick Frey.
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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).
