Welcome to Al-Monitor Istanbul.

We have a slightly longer newsletter to prepare for the exciting weeks ahead, as the 18th Istanbul Biennial, titled “The Three-Legged Cat,” and parallel events take over the volatile city. We’ll guide you through the noise: the map of the biennial, Elif Uras’ gilded ceramics, Pera Museum's two exhibits, and a cafe on the Anatolian side where Inci the cat still rules the conversation.

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Thanks for reading,

Nazlan (@NazlanEr on X)

P.S. Have tips on Istanbul’s culture scene? Send them my way at nertan@al-monitor.com.

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1. Leading the week: Waiting for the ‘Three-Legged Cat’

The French Orphanage, one of the venues of the Istanbul Biennial (Photo: IKSV- Sahir Ugur Eren)

When Lebanese curator Christine Tohme unveiled the theme of the 18th Istanbul Biennial in February, “The Three-Legged Cat,” (Sept. 20 through Nov. 23), she drew a parallel between the biennial and a three-legged cat — scarred yet agile, limping between pain and peril.

As the........

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