The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) has named Mariana Pestana as the curator for the fifth edition of the Istanbul Design Biennial, which will take place in the Turkish metropolis in fall 2020. Established in 2012 as an international exhibition of creative work from the fields of urban design, architecture, new media, graphic, industrial, product, interior, and fashion design, the Istanbul Design Biennial aims to celebrate and embrace the city’s emergence as a global economic force with considerable creative potential.

Splitting her time between Porto, Portugal, and London, Pestana is the cofounder of an interdisciplinary practice called The Decorators and works primarily on cultural programs and design interventions for public space. She also has extensive experience in academic and curatorial work. Since pursuing her Ph.D. in Architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College of London, Pestana has taught at the Royal College of Arts, the Chelsea College of Arts, and Central Saint Martins. Pestana has also served as a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Department of Architecture, Design, and Digital, and has co-curated exhibitions for the 2013 Lisbon Architecture Triennale and the 2019 Porto Design Biennale.

The fourth edition of the Istanbul Design Biennial, which took place in 2018, centered on the design process through six distinct “schools.” While a thematic focus for the fifth edition has yet to be announced, it is clear that Pestana will bring significant experience in design-based exhibition work to the Bosphorus over the course of the next year.