Contemporary Istanbul art fair draws 38,500 visitors

Contemporary Istanbul, Türkiye’s international contemporary art fair, brought together 70 galleries from 16 countries, 736 artists and 1,372 artworks for its 21st edition.

Organized with Akbank as its main partner, the five-day fair attracted 38,500 visitors, with international attendance rising 50% from the previous edition, according to the Contemporary Istanbul Foundation for Art, Culture and Education.

Twenty-two galleries joined the fair for the first time, while Istanbul hosted VIP guests from 37 countries and representatives of 148 institutions.

The fair featured galleries from across Asia including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, New Delhi and Singapore through its Focus Asia section alongside the Newcomers and New Grounds sections.

Ali Gureli, chairman of Contemporary Istanbul, said the fair helped establish new international connections and announced that Germany would be the focus of next year's program.

A sculpture route at Tersane Istanbul, a historic former shipyard complex located along a 2-kilometer (1.24-mile) shoreline on the northern coast of the Golden Horn in Beyoglu, Istanbul, featured 12 works by artists including Jaume Plensa, Arne Quinze, Bahadır Baruter, Bernar Venet, Ecem Yerman and Johnny Depp.

The fair also saw Oddviz's "Istanbul City Walls" added to the collection of the Istanbul Governorship.

To encourage young people to engage with contemporary art, the fair offered free admission to university students, with 1,250 students taking part. More than 300 students from fine arts high schools also joined special guided tours organized by Akbank.

The 22nd edition in 2027 will feature Focus Germany, bringing together art communities from Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne with Türkiye's art scene.