With its new program and Akbank as the main partner, Contemporary Istanbul will bring together art enthusiasts at Tersane Istanbul in the historic Golden Horn setting, with Preview Days on September 26–27 and General Admission from September 28 to October 1. The 18th edition of Contemporary Istanbul will host 67 contemporary art galleries, 4 initiatives, and 4 art institutions from 22 different countries. Among its participants, 21 contemporary art galleries will be joining Contemporary Istanbul for the first time, marking their debut in Istanbul.
Contemporary Istanbul is hosting 21 contemporary art galleries participating in the fair for the first time, bringing Turkey’s rapidly rising cultural and artistic scene together with collectors and art enthusiasts in Istanbul.
The following contemporary art galleries will be participating in the fair for the first time: 4710 Gallery, Tbilisi; Arma Gallery, Madrid; Aspan Gallery, Almaty; BFM Art Center, Wuzhong City; Bogena Galerie, Saint Paul de Vence; Callirrhoë, Athens; FURIOSA, Mexico; IBI ART Gallery, Johannesburg; INLOCO Gallery, Dubai; IN THE GALLERY, Mallorca; Kalashnikovv Gallery, Johannesburg; Karpuchina Gallery, Prague; Lazy Mike Gallery, Riga; Maze Art Group, Tehran; Omelchenko Gallery, Moscow; Rıdvan Kuday Gallery, Diyarbakır; Sconci Gallery, Dubai; SGR Galeria, Bogotá; SISTEMA GALLERY, Moscow; The Why Not Gallery, Tbilisi; and Yvonne Hohner Contemporary, Karlsruhe.
67 Contemporary Art Galleries to Participate in the 18th Edition of Contemporary Istanbul
Here’s the full list of the 67 contemporary art galleries participating in the 18th edition of Contemporary Istanbul:
.artSümer, Istanbul; 193 Gallery, Paris; 4710 Gallery, Tbilisi; AB Gallery, Seoul; Ambidexter, Istanbul; Anna Laudel, Düsseldorf, Istanbul; Arma Gallery, Madrid; Art On Istanbul, Istanbul; Aspan Gallery, Almaty; Bavan Gallery, Tehran; BFM Art Center, Wuzhong City; Bogena Galerie, Saint Paul de Vence; Bozlu Art Project, Istanbul; BüroSarıgedik, Istanbul; Callirrhoë, Athens; C.A.M. Gallery, Istanbul; Collect Gallery, Sofia, Istanbul; C24 Gallery, New York; Dastan, Tehran; den art, Antalya; Dirimart, Istanbul; FURIOSA, Mexico; Galeri 77, Istanbul; Galeri Bosfor, Istanbul; Galeri Nev Istanbul, Istanbul; Galeri Siyah Beyaz, Ankara; Galeria Joan Gaspar, Barcelona; Galeria Senda, Barcelona; Gallery Schmidt, Zurich; HOFA, London; IBI ART Gallery, Johannesburg; IN THE GALLERY, Mallorca; INLOCO Gallery, Dubai; KAIROS, Istanbul; Kalashnikovv Gallery, Johannesburg; Karpuchina Gallery, Prague; Lazy Mike Gallery, Riga; Leila Heller Gallery, Dubai, New York; Mariana Custodio Gallery, Lisbon, Istanbul; Mark Hachem, Paris, Beirut; Martch Art Project, Istanbul; Maze Art Group, Tehran; MERKUR, Istanbul; Muse Contemporary, Istanbul; Öktem Aykut, Istanbul; Omelchenko Gallery, Moscow; Pg Art Gallery, Istanbul; Pi Artworks, London, Istanbul; Pilevneli, Istanbul; PILOT, Istanbul; Piramid Sanat, Istanbul; RED ART Istanbul, Istanbul; Rıdvan Kuday Gallery, Diyarbakır; SANATORIUM, Istanbul; Sconci Gallery, Dubai; Sevil Dolmacı Art Gallery, Istanbul; SGR Galeria, Bogotá; Simbart Projects, Istanbul; SISTEMA GALLERY, Moscow; SODA, Istanbul; THE PILL®, Istanbul; The Why Not Gallery, Tbilisi; Villa del Arte Galleries, Barcelona, Amsterdam; Vision Art Platform, Istanbul; x-ist, Istanbul; Yvonne Hohner Contemporary, Karlsruhe; Zilberman I Istanbul, Berlin.
Initiatives
Ka Atölye, Ankara; NOKS Art Space, Istanbul; KOLİ Art Space, Istanbul; Kıyı Projects, Antalya.
Institutions and Museums
Baksı Museum, Bayburt; Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul; Contemporary Istanbul Foundation, Istanbul; Taksim Sanat, Istanbul.
Sea transportation to Contemporary Istanbul will begin on September 26 and continue until October 1, providing access for 30,000 art enthusiasts.
Special sea transportation services provided by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Şehir Hatları will operate between September 26 and October 1, offering access to Hasköy Pier from Kadıköy, Üsküdar, and Beşiktaş. Located just a 500-meter walk from Tersane Istanbul, Hasköy Pier will allow visitors to reach the fair easily by sea, avoiding traffic congestion. In its 18th edition, Contemporary Istanbul offers the pleasure of traveling across the city by sea, with transportation planned for 30,000 art enthusiasts to attend the fair.
Art enthusiasts will come together with art, gastronomy, and music in a historic atmosphere.
The 18th edition of Contemporary Istanbul will bring together art, gastronomy, and music. Partnering with some of the city’s leading dining venues—Akali, Cup of Joy, Espresso Perfetto, Momo Bebeköy, Nappo, Petra, Saff and Sail Loft—and concluding each day with DJ performances, the event will go beyond the perception of a traditional art fair, celebrating the city’s dynamism, cultural diversity, and creative energy.
This year, the highlight projects of the 18th edition of Contemporary Istanbul are:
1. CI Photo Focus
The 1st CI Photo Focus, highlighting the importance of photography as an art form, will bring together artists, galleries, and publications working in contemporary photography under the guidance of Simone Klein, Advisory Board Member of Photo London and former Director of Sotheby’s Photography Department. This new fair platform, showcasing the innovations and creative expressions of photography, will foster dynamic dialogues between artists, galleries, and visitors. Featuring works by 20 international artists, the platform will also include a special selection from the Borusan Contemporary collection. The 1st CI Photo Focus is organized in collaboration with Advisory Board Members Ansen, Coşar Kulaksız, Kumru Eren, Leyla Ünsal, Sarp Kerem Yavuz, and Tony Ventura.
Special projects to be featured at Contemporary Istanbul:
At the fair, with Akbank as the main partner, Akbank Sanat will present the exhibition “Şaka” curated by Hasan Bülent Kahraman. In partnership with Borusan Otomotiv, the distributor of BMW in Turkey, the BMW Electric AI Canvas project will be showcased following its debut at Art Basel. The LG OLED ART project will be presented in collaboration with Argentine artist Cecilia Bengolea. CIF Dialogues by İGA ART, renowned for its engaging programs each year, will also take place, alongside works from rapidly emerging contemporary art initiatives from cities across Anatolia, extending beyond the Istanbul circle.
Curated by Marc Olivier Wahler, The Yard will expand into the outer courtyard of Tersane Istanbul this year, in partnership with TOSYALI Holding.
In its third edition this year, The Yard—comprising outdoor sculptures and installations—will be curated by Marc Olivier Wahler, Director of the Musée d’Art et d’histoire (MAH) in Geneva. This exhibition, where industrial objects are transformed into works of art, will dynamically engage with the environment and the audience. As part of the 18th edition of Contemporary Istanbul, a work by Varol Topaç, created through upcycling techniques from steel production waste within TOSYALI Holding’s ‘Sustainable Art’ collection, will also be showcased.
The CIF Dialogues by İGA ART talk program will take place between September 27–29.
As part of the 18th edition of Contemporary Istanbul, the CIF Dialogues by İGA ART talk program will be held between September 27–29. Partnering with the İGA ART project, which connects art with the world from Istanbul Airport, CIF Dialogues will take place at Tersane Istanbul under three main themes: CI Photo Focus, Art in Public Spaces, and Art in Residence. Over the course of three days, panel discussions will feature Art in Public Spaces and Art in Residency moderated by Marc Olivier Wahler, and CI Photo Focus moderated by Simone Klein, offering audiences engaging and insightful content.
Contemporary Istanbul will take place with Akbank as the main partner, BMW—represented by Borusan Otomotiv as Turkey’s distributor—as the co-partner, and Turkish Airlines as the official airline partner, alongside Miles&Smiles, LG OLED evo, Qua Granite, and Trendyol contributing with their art projects. Pernod Ricard Turkey will once again join as a co-partner, welcoming art enthusiasts at the House of Brothers Lounge as in previous years.
Contemporary Istanbul Visiting Hours
Preview:
27 September 2023 | Hours: 11:00- 16:00
General Admission
27 September 2023 | Hours: 16:00-20:00
28-30 September 2023 | Hours: 11:00-20:00
01 October 2023 | Hours: 11:00-19:00
Tickets will be available soon at contemporaryistanbul.com.
You can access the visit details here.