Contemporary Istanbul is Turkey’s most comprehensive contemporary art event to date, expanding Istanbul’s cultural and artistic life to the world. The premier art fair of the region opens its doors this year to art lovers on November 24-27 at Istanbul Congress Center, Exhibition Area and Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center, Rumeli Hall. Contemporary Istanbul showcases contemporary paintings, sculptures, videos, photographs, installations and limited editions with the participation of national and foreign galleries. This edition brings together 90 contemporary art galleries from 20 countries, half of them international, featuring art initiatives, independent projects and publications along with art institutions in addition to exhibitions. 3000 contemporary artworks by 526 local and global artists are exhibited, more than 1000 collectors are visiting Contemporary Istanbul, more than 60.000 visitors are expected in CI 2011. The center of contemporary art Aiming to make Istanbul the center of contemporary art, this year Contemporary Istanbul hosts galleries, artists, curators, art critics and collectors from the Gulf Region in its “New Horizons” section. In the CI Dialogues Conference Series, where the contemporary art of today and tomorrow is discussed throughout the fair, Turkish and international collectors, artists, art directors and critics contribute to a series of panels. As part of Contemporary Istanbul’s New Horizons series the 3rd day of CI Dialogues brings together leading figures from around the Gulf Region; art experts, advisors, curators and art critics will be discussing the current art market, emerging artists and art institutions in the region. Laura Egerton, Curator, Abraaj Capital Art Prize and Arsalan Mohammad, Editor in Chief, Harper’s Bazaar Art Dubai are two of the key contributors to this dialogue. More Space More Art Contemporary Istanbul begins to host “Curatorial Exhibition” this year. A selection of artists from local and international participating galleries is in the exhibition curated by Selin Turam. The aim of this exhibition is to illuminate contemporary issues of art and culture, and present an interpretation of how the subject/object of art has evolved within the rapidly changing environment and explore how the contemporary art scene has dealt with the perpetual motion of the narrative. Artists; Tony Cragg, Renata Poljak, Maitha Huraiz, Imran Channa, Haleh Anvari, Erdağ Aksel, Meeson Pae Yang and many others are exhibited on this selection 3 striking selections that touch upon city, human, body and culture The videos submitted by the participating galleries to be part of the screening program of the Video Cube at Contemporary Istanbul 2011 have been shortlisted and curated by Irmak and Ceren Arkman from the Kurye Video Organization team to form three separate screenings. The first selection titled “City and the Social Man” focuses on our cities and the roles we maintain within social life. The section tries to understand how every city creates its own man and every man creates his/her own city in loop. The second selection, “Political and Cultural Icons”, tries to take a novel look at the major symbols and icons in our lives and examines both the materials that lie beneath the icons and the commoditization of icons and symbols in our capitalist world. The last selection titled “Fragmented Body and the Self” brings together videos, some of them quite neurotic, about the fragments and the fragmentation of the body and the self, and tries to shed some light to the problematic relationship everyone sustains with his/her body and mind in today’s world. “Must sees” and “the firsts” are together Last year, Armenian artists and Turkish art enthusiasts come together in ‘Art from Armenia’ at Contemporary Istanbul.This year’s ‘Art from Armenia’ presents new artworks and artists to art enthusiasts. Contemporary Istanbul 2011 showcases artists Ruben Grigorian, Sarkis Hamalbashian and Gabriel Manoukian. Also Komet’s 70th anniversary is celebrated with the exhibition ‘IF NOT THAT, IT IS ANOTHER’ – ‘Esrarengiz’ which includes 27 artworks that is exhibited for the first time. Enriched Art With The Sponsor During the exhibition that Akbank Private Banking is sponsoring for the 5th time, the Akbank Private Lounge hosts the “Contemporary Artists Exhibition” that has been presented for 30 years by the Art and Sculpture Museum Association and the interactive applied arts education for children. Having completed the attempts for insuring art works through AkSigorta, Contemporary Istanbul fair starts insuring art works that are bought during the fair. Performing Arts Center, one of the most important function of the associate sponsor Zorlu Center and designed as a multi-purpose arts center to host various artistic branches, continues to support the arts during its construction phase. Zorlu Center hosts special guests in the lounge during the exhibition. At the same time, Cemal Emden’s Zorlu Center “Constructive Parts” exhibition which expresses the construction process is presented in a specially designed container. Art that mingles with everyday life Contemporary Istanbul 2011 goes far by not only overflowing Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center (LK) and Istanbul Congress Center (IKM), but also by bringing contemporary art to public spaces. For this year edition of the fair, 3 major artworks are exhibited in Nişantaşı area for the first time. An outstanding sculpture entitled “Classic Arc” by Bernar Venet, the high standing French artist known with its monumental sculpture installations in the Castle of Versailles Palace (Riff Art Projects Paris-İstanbul), is placed in Abdi İpekçi street, Nişantası. The witty and vidid Spanish artist Carlos Aires’s (Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art, Vienna) installation called “Es Pain” can be seen on the façade of The Sofa Hotel from the 22nd of November. Azade Köker’s installation Bayrak/Göz (Galerie Zilberman) representing the “homeland” concept and its viewpoint is a landmark just outside the fair’s premices: close to Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center’s Rumeli Gate. Art and Entertainment in the same scene To celebrate its 6th edition opening, Contemporary Istanbul hosts 4 extraordinary contemporary performance artists. On the 23rd of November, Tal Isaac Hadad vs. Renaissance Man, Voin De Voin, Erdem Helvacıoğlu and Özgür Erkök provide Contemporary Istanbul’s preview guests an unforgettable experience on that very unique night. In Istanbul Congress Center, Erdem Helvacıoğlu, Tal Isaac Hadad and Renaissance Man present two exclusive sound performances inspired from real sound elements.The opening program in Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center brings together Özgür Erkök’s costume solo stage performance ‘Otozit Parazit’ and Bulgarian artist Voin de Voin’s performance “PLAY” which is inspired by language and all the possible connotations. Contemporary Istanbul bring art enthusiasts together the night of November 26th with the cooperation of FG 93.7, in The Hall Urban Style. At “The Night Destination” DJs from FG 93.7 Orkun Bozdemir and Low Earth will be in charge of tonight’s pleasant You can follow Contemporary Istanbul at any time Starting on November 20th, all news at Contemporary Istanbul is presented in iFest, the Contemporary Istanbul special issue for iPhone and iPad. With the interactive content of iFest, it is possible to reach the list of all galleries, information on performers, interviews taken at the fair, most contemporary video’s and conference program of CI Dialogues, as well as details on the activities, parties, articles and special content and interviews from the fair’s official magazine ICE Magazine. Contemporary İstanbul: The sixth edition of Contemporary Istanbul will take place from 24th to 27th of November 2011. As the most extensive contemporary art fair in Turkey, Contemporary Istanbul aims to promote the cultural and artistic life of Turkey. For five days, Contemporary Istanbul is hosting national and international galleries, artists from all over the world, collectors, museum directors, curators, art critics, members of press and art lovers at Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center and Istanbul Congress Center. And in addition to the main event, Contemporary Istanbul is organizing through the year several side events and art projects such as conferences, exhibitions with the aim of contributing to the country’s contemporary art development.
