Contemporary Istanbul's 21st Edition Brings Together International Community
Held with the main partnership of Akbank, the fair brought together artists from diverse geographies at Tersane Istanbul while announcing its plans for 2027.
The 21st edition of Contemporary Istanbul, with Akbank as the main partner, brought together artists, collectors, and art professionals from Turkey and around the world at Tersane Istanbul.
International Gathering
The 21st edition of Contemporary Istanbul brought together established galleries and new initiatives, artists, collectors, art institutions, and professionals from Turkey and the world in Istanbul.
The fair made relations established with new art geographies more visible through its Focus Asia, Newcomers, and New Grounds sections.
Statements by Ali Güreli
In his evaluation following the 21st edition, Contemporary Istanbul Chairman of the Board Ali Güreli stated that the new relationships established in Istanbul were more important than the numbers.
Güreli expressed that they have achieved their goal of ranking among the world's leading contemporary art fairs and aim to enter the top five within the next five years.
70 Galleries and 22 First-Time Participants
Twenty-two galleries participating in the fair for the first time brought different programs, artists, and perspectives to the Istanbul art scene.
These new participants created an important meeting ground for long-term international collaborations for galleries and artists in Turkey.
Asian Dialogues with Focus Asia
Focus Asia aimed to establish a permanent and two-way culture and art network between Turkey and Asia.
As part of the program, galleries from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, New Delhi, and Singapore took part in Contemporary Istanbul.
CIF Dialogues Program
CIF Dialogues, the public program of the Contemporary Istanbul Foundation, brought together international names from various fields of the art world.
Current topics such as Asia's cultural position, new generation collecting, and the transformation of institutions were discussed at the event.
Tersane Istanbul Sculpture Trail
The Contemporary Istanbul x Tersane Istanbul Sculpture Trail carried contemporary art beyond gallery booths and spread it to different locations.
Within the scope of the trail, 12 sculptures, including Jaume Plensa's monumental work titled Juana, met with the audience.
2027 Goals
Following its 21st edition, Contemporary Istanbul is preparing to launch the Focus Germany program in its 22nd edition in 2027.
This program aims to bring together new generation artists and galleries producing works between Turkey and Germany in Istanbul.