Vasif Kortun is a curator, writer and teacher in the field of contemporary visual art, its institutions, and spatial practices. He was the founding director of Research & Programs of SALT, an interdisciplinary cultural institution in Turkey. A recipient of the Award for Curatorial Excellence from Bard College, Kortun has co-curated biennials including the Taipei (2008) with ManRay Hsu, and the 9th Istanbul Biennial (2005) with Charles Esche.