Initiated by ISTANBUL '74, which is an Istanbul culture and arts platform that celebrates creativity and cultural heritage with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the sixth edition of the Istanbul International Arts and Culture Festival (IST. FESTIVAL) will run from June 3 to June 5. The first and only annual international arts and culture festival in Turkey, the IST. FESTIVAL has featured the world's leading creative figures from art, music, fashion, film, literature and architecture, placing Istanbul at the center of the culture and arts scene with a unique experience for audiences since it began in 2010. So far, the festival has brought visitors together with Zaha Hadid, Tilda Swinton, Kirsten Dunst, Courtney Love, Ferzan Özpetek, Juliette Lewis, JR, Ayşe Kulin, Sam Taylor-Wood and many more.Ever since its first edition in 2010, the festival has been recognized for bringing visionaries together with a keen audience. Attracting a mix of national and international creative voices to lead panels and discussions as part of the festival, it creates an inspiring platform for the exchange of ideas. It gives the public audience the opportunity to engage with some of the most influential individuals of from diverse fields while forging a strong relationship between Turkey and global culture and art.This year's festival theme is "Value and Experience of Aesthetics in Arts and Culture," centered on the importance of aesthetics in arts and culture with prominent figures serving as panelists and through art installations. Aestheticism, commonly referred to as the study of beauty and taste, was introduced to the philosophical lexicon during the 18th century. Since then, it has been used to designate various objects, judgments, attitudes, experiences and values; widely referred to as the philosophy of art.Curated by Demet Müftüoğlu-Eseli and Alphan Eseli along with an international guest, the festival offers a hybrid program featuring panel sessions, talks, screenings, workshops and exhibitions that will be held in various venues around the city for three days. The festival is open to public and admissions are free, allowing all to participate. For more information about the full program you can visit istanbul74.com.Participants of IST.FESTIVAL 2016Some of the biggest names to be featured at the festival included film director and photographer Anton Corbijn, Fendi Fashion House Creative Director Silvia Venturini Fendi musician Thurston Moore, architect David Adjaye, actress Parker Posey, artist Miroslaw Balka, founder and director of 25 Magazine Anja Rubik, film director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, performer Ben Gorham, actress Serra Yılmaz, Dazed magazine Editorial Director Jefferson Hack, fashion designer Jean Charles de Castelbajac, film director Kaan Müjdeci, artist Jose Parla and artist Robert Montgomery, A Magazine Editor-in-Chief of Dan Thawley, actress Aimee Mullins, artist Seza Paker, actor Rupert Friend, Talks founder Sven Schumann, curator and writer Ali Akay, architect Murat Tabanlıoğlu, artist Blair Chivers, journalist Şelale Kadak, author Latife Tekin, literary agent Barbaros Altuğ and Konstrukt.ISTANBUL '74Co-founded by Demet Müftüoğlu-Eseli and Alphan Eseli in late 2009, ISTANBUL '74 is a cross-disciplinary, creative entrepreneurship that provides an exemplary platform for cultural and artistic interchange between Istanbul and the world. It produces and hosts some very exciting art and culture events, including the annual Istanbul International Arts and Culture Festival. Pushing the boundaries of art, fashion and design, ISTANBUL '74 serves as a hub to nurture creativity and artistic collaboration to bring visionary talent and innovative brands together. Taking an unorthodox approach to attract new fields to expose creative work, the practice positions Istanbul as the center stage for global events, serving as the principal provider of international arts and culture activities in Turkey. Apart from the gallery spaces in the Galatasaray and Karaköy districts of Istanbul and the IST. FESTIVAL, ISTANBUL '74 also has various initiatives such as '74 GAZETTE, a daily, bilingual online newspaper on arts and culture; '74 VISITS, a collection of photographs and short films showcasing inspirational personal spaces owned by creative individuals; '74 ESCAPE, a travel journal that aims to inspire through other people's stories of unique locations and en-route discoveries; '74 STUDIO, a creative studio and agency as well as a platform for artist representation and '74 MOTION, a digital lab that focuses on video making from conceptualization to development and production are subsidiaries of ISTANBUL '74.