A curator-at-large for Performa in NYC, Defne Ayas has previously served as a director, co-director, curator and advisor to several cultural institutions and research initiatives, including Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam, Arthub Asia in Shanghai, the New Museum in New York and V-A-C Foundation in Moscow/Venice. At Performa, Defne presented Protest and Performance: A Way of Life with Kathy Noble in 2023, which included performances by Gregg Bordowitz and Pamela Sneed, Rana Hamadeh, Lonnie Holley and Göksu Kunak. In addition, she co-organised Sonic Tonic Assembly together with Paul O’Neill, with contributions by AGF, Islaja, Bhavisha Panchia, HxH, Lamin Fofana and Tony Cokes. Defne co-curated the 13th Gwangju Biennale with Natasha Ginwala in 2021, the 6th Moscow Biennale with Bart de Baere and Nicolaus Schafhausen in 2015, and the 11th Baltic Triennale with Kira Nova and Michael Portnoy in 2012. For Extra Extra, Defne remains one of the very first contributors, who generously shares her knowledge and initiated the Urbex.