Contemporary Istanbul, Türkiye's international contemporary art fair, closed its 21st edition with 38,500 visitors, organizers said, reporting a 50% increase in international attendance compared with the previous year.
The fair was held at Tersane Istanbul, a historic former shipyard on the northern shore of the Golden Horn in Beyoğlu, from Sept. 22 to 27, with an invitation-only preview on the opening day and a VIP preview the next. Public admission ran for the final four days.
According to the Contemporary Istanbul Foundation for Art, Culture and Education, this year's edition featured 70 galleries from 16 countries, presenting 1,372 works by 736 artists. Twenty-two galleries took part for the first time. Akbank served as main partner.
Asia in focus, sculpture by the water
A Focus Asia section brought galleries from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, New Delhi and Singapore, alongside the Newcomers section and New Grounds, a platform for emerging galleries and younger practices.
Outside the halls, a sculpture route along the shipyard's waterfront displayed 12 works by artists including Jaume Plensa, Bernar Venet, Arne Quinze, Bahadır Baruter, Ecem Yerman and actor Johnny Depp.
Organizers said VIP guests travelled from 37 countries and representatives of 148 institutions attended. University students were admitted free of charge, and 1,250 took up the offer, while more than 300 pupils from fine arts high schools joined guided tours arranged by Akbank. A work by the Istanbul-based collective Oddviz, "Istanbul City Walls," was acquired for the collection of the Istanbul Governorship.
Germany next
Contemporary Istanbul chairman Ali Güreli said the fair had helped create new international links for the city's art scene. He announced that the 22nd edition in 2027 will spotlight Germany, bringing art communities from Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne together with their Turkish counterparts.
Earlier in the year, organizers had said that galleries would come from four continents, from cities including Berlin, Paris, Beirut, Brussels, Tokyo, New York, Prague and Tehran as well as Istanbul and Ankara, with 17 first-time exhibitors initially announced before the final count rose to 22.
Sources
- Contemporary Istanbul art fair draws 38,500 visitors – Anadolu Agency
- Contemporary Istanbul Announces Participating Galleries for Its 21st Edition – ArtDog Istanbul
Photo: Moonik / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
