Contemporary Istanbul

Contemporary Istanbul, the premier art fair in Turkey and the region, proudly hosts its 10th edition this year from November 12 – 15, 2015. The fair takes place at the renowned Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC) and Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICEC).

As Turkish interest in contemporary art has increased in recent years, Contemporary Istanbul (CI) has been a showcase for art from across the globe. Today, it has become a name synonymous with delivering artistic excellence and diversity as it continues to grow with particular international and regional interest.
Its inaugural year, CI hosted nine foreign galleries; last year, for its 9th edition, it boasted participation by 65 international galleries. The upwind of international participation is a result of the CI’s ability to reach far beyond its November events, with presentations and exhibitions held throughout the year worldwide. Even more notable is the growth in attendance, which has swelled from 37,000 in its first edition to 80,000 visitors in 2014 , testifying to Contemporary Istanbul’s importance, both locally and internationally.
Of the over 80,000 visitors that attended the fair in 2014, 108 galleries from 23 countries participated, and visiting museum groups included members of Palais de Tokyo, the Guggenheim Circle Venice, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Sotheby’s Preferred, and the Albertina Museum, Austria. As a result, CI is proud to announce that, in an overcrowded art fair calendar, it was named the ‘fifth most visited art fair in the world’ in 2014 by Artnews. In addition, the Skates Art Fair report praised CI for its ‘diverse collector base’.
Since January 2015, and part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, Contemporary Istanbul has been to 18 cities in 14 countries and traveled over 178,480 kilometres for 17 international events. Corresponded with 1250 collectors, 540 galleries, 83 members of the press, 138 art institutions and museum directors.
Notable for its remarkable position both geographically and artistically, CI prides itself on bringing together top galleries, artists and collectors from Turkey, the Caucasus, the Black Sea and the Middle East, but also from Europe, America and Asia, providing a forum for art lovers to explore the full riches of the world’s art.
But its uniqueness does not stop there. CI goes beyond the traditional art fair presentations. With multiple platforms, including a special selection non-profit organizations, the publication of its quarterly magazine and events held internationally throughout the year along with the very special offerings of exhibitions, presentations, and initiatives during the fair itself, CI has become the main event in the Turkish arts calendar. n