Contemporary Istanbul Founder Plans New Fair On City's Asian Side

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The founder of Contemporary Istanbul, Ali Güreli, is developing plans for an additional art fair to be situated on the Asian side of the city. This announcement follows the recent conclusion of the 21st edition of Türkiye's largest contemporary art fair, which hosted approximately 70 exhibitors from over 15 countries at Tersane Istanbul.

For the third consecutive year, Contemporary Istanbul took place in the 500-year-old Ottoman-era shipping yard, located on the scenic Golden Horn. The fair's 6,000 sq. m. layout, featuring nine-meter high ceilings, provided a seamless experience across two adjacent halls, complemented by a dedicated venue for its Dialogues program. This year, the program focused on conversations concerning the Asian art market.

“There is a great advantage in having the entire fair on the same floor,” said Güreli, who also serves as the fair's chairman of the board. He highlighted that efforts to attract representatives from approximately 56 countries this year underscore the fair's increasing international visibility. Contemporary Istanbul has already confirmed its return in 2027, coinciding with the 19th Istanbul Biennial.

Güreli also revealed that his new venture is in discussions with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism regarding art taxation reform. This proposed reform aims to introduce incentives, similar to Italy's recent tax reduction to 5% on art acquisitions, to encourage corporate art collecting.“We need incentives to encourage corporations to collect art,” he stated.

The recent edition saw 22 galleries making their debut at CI. These included Jessica Silverman Gallery from San Francisco, Galeria Karla Osorio from São Paulo, Galerie Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois and Galerie La La Lande from Paris, Galerie Tanit from Beirut, and Rast Gallery and Shiva Zahed from Istanbul. While previous editions focused on markets like Spain, Latin America, or Central and Eastern Europe, this year's programming spotlighted Asia, with participants such as Pearl Lam Projects of Hong Kong, Whitestone Gallery from Tokyo and Seoul, Method Gallery from New Delhi, and Silk Art House Gallery of Singapore. Güreli noted that Asia was an obvious choice for the programming focus in a city that bridges Asia with Europe.“Cities like Mumbai, Shenzhen, and Beijing, and Seoul are investing tremendous amounts to art and culture with help from well-known architects,” he added.

Returning local exhibitors, such as OG Gallery, observed positive outcomes from the updated venue. Gallery owner Senem Özgören emphasized the fair's ability to foster connections with local colleagues and build new relationships with international galleries. OG Gallery, among Istanbul's youngest, presented artists including Paris-based Turkish painter Yaz Taşçı and Sine Içli. Özgören commented that the venue's“good flow” contributed to a successful VIP day, which“relieved the concerns of recent economic turmoils.” Another fast-rising Paris-based Turkish artist, Sila Candansayar, was a focal point in the joint presentation by Galerie Michel Rein and Villa Magdalena, showcasing corporal glass and wood sculptures alongside erratically abstracted charcoal and oil paintings that proved popular with collectors during the fair's preview day.

Among the debut presentations, Galeria Karla Osorio featured three artists: Ricardo Homen, Matheus Abu, and Graziela Guardino. Guardino's acrylic on unravelled linen abstract paintings from last year referenced Brazil's Neo-concrete movement, combining sensual loose gestures with strict geometry.

Established Istanbul galleries like Dirimart, Galerie Nev, and artSümer occupied large booths for group presentations. Dirimart's international selection included Brooklyn painter Summer Wheat, British sculptor Tony Cragg, and Turkish modernist painting doyens Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu and Abidin Elderoğlu. In artSümer's presentation, contemporary textile painters Canan and Gözde İlkin stood out. Pearl Lam Projects utilized a spacious display, featuring Japanese artist Chisato Matsumoto's sprawling pinched cloth structures and a massive fifteen-meter installation of sewn sails, titled Sail of Light ( 2026 ), located at the fair's exit.

Jessica Silverman Gallery, a Bay Area institution, readily joined the fair after a suggestion from its Turkish director Hakkı Serhat and the local popularity of Turkish-born roster painter Hayal Pozanti.“This was a chance to re-engage with a community we already feel connected to, and to develop and deepen those relationships in person,” Silverman said, adding from the west coast:“Hakkı keeps updating me that the crowd has been lively and genuinely engaged-there's a real curiosity and depth of conversation here, which is exactly what we hoped to find.”

The fair also provided a platform for emerging AI-driven companies in the art sector, such as Numeraire Future Trends, which offers authentication and valuation services for collectors. The Abu Dhabi-based deep tech platform, serving as the fair's official Solution Partner, collaborated with Istanbul and Berlin-based Zilberman Gallery and London's Gillian Jason Gallery. They conducted demonstrations throughout the show's run, showcasing biometric identification of provenance and value assessment.“We are witnessing a critical moment for authentication with the development of sophisticated technologies and AI. It's becoming increasingly important to establish a verifiable identity for physical artworks,” said Marsha Lipton, the company's chief executive.

The participation of the San Francisco-based Jessica Silverman Gallery underscores the fair's appeal to institutions in the United States.

We previously reported:

The 21st edition of Contemporary Istanbul will bring together more than 70 galleries from 24 countries, with 17 new exhibitors joining.

Contemporary Istanbul, Turkey's international art fair, featured 70 galleries from 16 countries at Tersane, showcasing diverse art despite economic caution.

The 21st edition of Contemporary Istanbul saw a 37 percent increase in gallery participation, offering a vital platform for Iranian artists.

Source: The Art Newspaper

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