Contemporary Istanbul: More than just an art fair

Contemporary Istanbul, the annual art fair in the Turkish capital takes place in November every year. Courtesy: Contemporary Istanbul

Contemporary Istanbul is one of the most important art fairs in the region. It is now in its ninth year and with a strongly regional focus, it is a platform for UAE galleries to promote their emerging artists.

This week, director Ali Gureli was in town for some business and The Art Blog took the chance to catch up with him.

Q: What sets Contemporary Istanbul (CI) apart from other fairs?

A: Every fair has its identity and CI has a regional focus. We try to keep around half of the galleries from the Middle East, North Africa and Iran and about 30% from Turkey.

We do this because in our experience we believe collectors who come to the fair are looking for art from this region and also, after nine years, they have come to expect that heavier concentration from us.

Q: Do you expect your galleries to bring artists who focus on traditional themes associated with art from this region?

A: When I look at art produced in this region there is some that is overtly influenced by tradition such as Islamic culture or Arabesque patterns and there is a lot that is not. In Istanbul, galleries can exhibit both examples.

Q: You have expanded so much since the fair began in 2006. Can you tell us a bit about what is new this year?

A: Certainly. Well every year we expand in terms of visitors and we are always trying to adapt to their needs. This year we will have two satellite fairs. CI Editions will be new for 2014 and will exhibit only editions with a price tag from as low as US$100 up to $5000. The reason we do this is that last year we had 72,000 visitors and although we sold over 70% of our works, they were sold to approximately 2,000 of those visitors. We wanted to give the majority of the people who visit, the chance to buy something. Also in its second year is Plug In, a satellite event dedicated to New Media.

Q: You also have some exciting events within the fair. Can you briefly touch on them?

A: There is so much happening over the four days but one thing that I am looking forward to presenting is The 90-minute Show. It will be a curated exhibition space within the fair that will change every one and a half hours. It is very dynamic and exciting. There is also a show by Glasstress, the Italian collective started in Venice. This year they have invited five Turkish artists to take part in a residency and those will be exhibited in another venue.

Q: So really, you are taking over the city for that week?

A: (laughs) It’s true. Since it began CI has become more than an art fair. We have conferences outside of Istanbul in Anatolia for collectors, artists and curators to educated people about art and to have more sympathy for it. We are also a non-profit body and after every fair we produce reports for the government on a local and national level about what is needed to help our cultural status. We are also helping galleries attain small business status so that they can get help from the government to attend other fairs worldwide.

In short, CI has closed a gap that existed beforehand. We are now a meeting point for galleries, collectors, artists and art lovers and we are an art event, not just a fair.

Q: Finally, why do you think your fair is so popular with galleries from the Gulf?

A: When I look at this region I see a lot of movement – there are large museums being built, many galleries and biennials – and in general everyone wants to be successful. But I believe that unless that they will have more success if they have some sort of contact or collaboration with Istanbul. Istanbul will always be powerful and it will always be a giant cultural hub for the region. We have so much history and culture and a large population, I really believe that for CI, this is only the beginning.

* Contemporary Istanbul takes place from November 13-16. For more info visit the website