The 15th edition of Contemporary Istanbul is opening its doors at the Lutfi Kırdar Rumeli Hall between June 1-6.
Cooperating with art institutions and institutes to ensure a sustainable art environment, Contemporary Istanbul opens its doors to art lovers for the 15th time. This year, the event will feature contemporary art galleries in Turkey. The 15th edition of Contemporary Istanbul will launch with a VIP preview on June 1-2 and open to all from June 3-6.
Each gallery will invite selected artists to the fair, and bring the collectors and artists together on the “Artist Day” scheduled for June 1. Featuring digital and new media art under its program, Plugin with a selection brought together under the theme of “Post” is curated by Esra Özkan and will feature the flow of human-machine communication, artificial intelligence, post-human narratives, digital characters, different approaches of intertwined and diverging new media and modes of production such as bio art. Artists such as Aypera, Ahmet Rüstem, Can Büyükberber, Ece Gözen, Enes Özenbaş & Ethem Cem, Güvenç Özel, Hakan Sorar, Sofia Crespo H.o, Mert Kızılay & Hakan Gündüz, Maxim Zhestkov, Mario Klin-gemann, Murat Yıldırım, Onur Sönmez, Void and Yonca Karakaş will take part in Plugin Istanbul.
“… The art market is highly connected with today’s conditions, including the products of artists, as well as the mood, emotions and excitement of the society. We will hold this fair with a great devotion, believing in the healing power of the art, cooperating with the Contemporary Istanbul team and our main sponsor Akbank. We are aware that our duty is not only organize a qualified art fair, but also is to make art lovers and galleries more interested in art, and to keep excitement of being in art alive with improving it. Like the examples of Art Basel Hong Kong and New York Frieze Fair, we see that the interest in the art continues in any condition,” says Ali Güreli, Co-Chairperson of Contemporary Istanbul.
“The Actual and Transcendence” from Akbank Sanat
Akbank is the main sponsor of the fair for the 15th times this year. Akbank Sanat will take place in the event with an interesting exhibition this year, just like in every other edition. The exhibition The Actual and Transcendence, curated by Hasan Bülent Kahraman and featuring with 11 artists, says that, “the work of art is both actuality, that is to say, real, and beyond: transcendence.” And the exhibition is waiting for visitors at Akbank Sanat stand between June 1-6.
The exhibition reminds us through the pain and destruction, which we have been through about past year and a half, human being is the one who starts over from the beginning. It also reminds that the art challenges the endlessness of time, and says “the work of art is transcendence”.
Galleries participating in the fair:
Anna Laudel, Istanbul, Dusseldorf; Art On Istanbul, Istanbul; Art Refinery, Istanbul; Artopol Art Gallery, Istanbul; Bozlu Art Project, Istanbul; C24 Gallery, New York; CEP Gallery, Istanbul; De Artium, Istanbul; Dirimart, Istanbul; Faar Art Gallery, Istanbul; Gallery 77, Istanbul; Gallery Binyıl, Istanbul; Gallery Diani, Istanbul; Gallery MCRD, Istanbul; Gallery / Miz, Istanbul; Gallery Nev Istanbul, Istanbul; Gallery Siyah Beyaz, Istanbul, Ankara; Gama Gallery, Istanbul; Öktem Aykut, İstanbul; Pi Artworks, Istanbul, London; Piramid Art, Istanbul; Sanatorium, Istanbul; Sevil Dolmacı Art Gallery, Istanbul; Vision Art Platform, Istanbul; x-ist, Istanbul; Zilberman Gallery, Istanbul, Berlin.
In line with measures due to Covid-19, Contemporary Istanbul will be held with limited number of visitors and limited time to 2 hours.
