LICHT FELD Gallery (Basel)

Istanbul's Strong, Friendly and Powerful Atmosphere

LICHT FELD Gallery has been participating in international fairs in Miami, New York, Basel, Chicago, Paris, and Monte Carlo since 2007. The gallery director Friedrich Hadorn says that he has felt a strong, friendly, and powerful atmosphere in Istanbul every time he visited and adds, "The obstacle in front of this movement is the increasingly more present political and religious animosity. I feel the beautiful power in Istanbul and I'm scared of going back to the middle ages. It is an interesting field where the new and the old, democracy and ultra-conservatives confront each other."

Hadorn thinks that MARCKS's video sculptures will draw viewers' attention at the fair and also highlights Permi Jhooti's work. 

Galerie Bernard Ceysson (Paris)

Symbolic Names From The Support/Surface Movement

Galerie Bernard Ceysson presents two key names of the founding members of the Support/Surface movement: Noël Dolla and Claude Viallat. Galerie Bernard Ceysson focuses on this important movement in French art history. A representative from Déborah Schott says that Turkish art market is highly dynamic with an increasing impact on the global market. "This is why it is important for us to be here!" says Schott, saying that they took this step to find a place in the international field. 

Art Lexing (Miami)

Young Chinese Artists...

Art Lexing works with young Chinese artists. Since they are participating in CI for the first time, they are exhibiting works by their two most established artists Quentin Shih and Ye Hongxing. Quentin Shih has won the Hasselblad Master Photography award. His two ironic series "Strange in the Glass Box" and "Shanghai Dreamers" will be exhibited at the fair. Both series were prepared in special collaboration with Christian Dior Haute Couture. Ye Hongxing works with the very specific and unique medium of stickers. The artist uses jewel-like mosaics of a hybrid reality, making collages of stickers on canvas.

Lexing Zhang says that they are excited to be a part of CI this year and that they have heard very special things about the fair until now. "I know art professionals and collectors from London and Paris who come to Istanbul for the fair. There is a long and powerful art history in Turkey and this fair is the foundation for a magnificent market. It would be fantastic to collaborate with a local gallery or institution here." 

Aaran Gallery (Tehran)

We Are Showing ranian Art That Resists The Well Known

The works that Aaran Gallery will show at the fair are sculptures and installations that are in a progressive style. These artists are, Mojtaba Amini, Shahryar Hatami, Nasser Bakhshi and Barbad Golshiri. Rana Noebashari says that they have been following the contemporary art world in Istanbul for the last few years. She says, "As a representative of Iranian contemporary art, we wanted to be a part of this dynamic environment," and adds, "Our goal is to be appreciated by foundations and collectors for showing Iranian art that resists the well-known traditions and to enter the dynamic art world of Istanbul. We are going to have a strong presentation, bringing some of our renowned avant-garde artists. Thus, we are optimistic about gaining a place in the Turkish art world."  

Corridor Contemporary (Tel Aviv)

Tel Aviv And İstanbul Have Similar Spirits

Corridor Contemporary is a collaboration between two galleries in Tel Aviv, participating in many international fairs together. One of the directors Rachel Meijler Iram explains why they want to participate in CI: "Many of our colleague gallerists told us that we should not miss CI. We realized that the contemporary art world is experiencing a boom in the last few years. This makes it an ideal place for promoting our artists. In addition, both Tel Aviv and Istanbul have similar spirits: it is a combination of relevant cultural past and lively contemporary art world. On the other hand, we meet Turkish collectors everywhere we go and this can also be said to have made us curious."

For CI, they have selected three intriguing artists, two from Israel and one from Australia. One is Lee Yanor, who seeks movement even in his stagnant works (as he is a former dancer). The second is the young photographer Sarah Bahbah who can capture both passion and pleasure in one frame. The last is the Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri who lives in New York, recognized for his large-scale cinematic photographs. Thousands of brushstrokes enliven his paintings, transforming them with a strikingly realistic, conspicuously beautiful, alluring power. 

Karavil Contemporary (London)

Did The Interest Lessen?

Karavil Contemporary participates in the fair with Turkish artist Ihsan Oturmak. The gallery selected thematically from the artist's new works, starting with 2014. As the artist's only representation at the fair, they say that they are hoping to have a positive experience. Giulia Campaner says that in the last few years, local collectors are less interested in supporting young and emerging Turkish artists compared to before. 

Dubner Moderne (Lausanne)

No Need For Words

Dubner Modern exhibits exciting works by emerging and mid-career artists at Contemporary Istanbul. Vernon Dubner points out that they believe a group exhibition would expand the interaction and further the communication with the viewers.

Among the exhibited are abstract paintings by Matt Mignanelli and Russeyl Tyler, who are both rising stars of the Brooklyn art world. Dubner continues, "Since the focus of CI this year is "Contemporary Tehran", we are also exhibiting paintings by Mahmoud Hamadani in our booth. Hamadani is influenced by the beauty and mathematical series of Persian calligraphy, researching the intersection of chaos and order. Another artist whose works we will see at the fair is Sebastian Blanck; Blanck's stretched paper collages consist of landscapes that evoke personal feelings such that his works are as familiar as family photograph albums. Li Jin, who always embraces life and has simple pleasures, only depicts people and scenes. Their importance thus does not need words with their beauty and value. Dubner Modern's other artist is Viviane Rombaldi Seppey. As a Swiss immigrant, she has lived in the West for as long as she has in the East, approaching the phone book as something that makes tangible the universal definition of a place.

Dubner responds to the question of the status of the art market in Turkey, "I was struck by the number of Turkish collectors I met in Basel, in Miami and in New York. Turkish collectors are always active, engaged and very open-minded when it comes to contemporary art. From my trips to Istanbul, I can see that the city has a culturally rich perspective." 

l'étrangère (London)

From Painting to Photography, Collage to Sculpture...

​l'étrangère presents five artists at Contemporary Istanbul: Jyll Bradley (UK), Katie Cuddon (UK), Filippo Caramazza (UK), Joanna Rajkowska (Poland) and Anita Witek (Austria). They are participating in the fair with a wide selection of works including ceramics, photography, collage, and sculpture. John Constable, the curator of programming, says that the reason they are participating in the fair is because their vision corresponds to that of CI and not the rapid growth in the market. "Istanbul's position between the East and the West is important for us for offering an opportunity to reach new collectors beyond Europe. In terms of pricing, our most expensive work is a large-sale "woven" painting by Filippo Caramazza in which he uses colorful threads, creating a chaotic and beautiful composition. In order to respond to the needs of different budgets, we are showing works of different price points. The limited edition of books specially produced by Joanna Rajkowska, a handmade series of photographs by Anita Witek and Jyll Bradley's plexi-glass wall reliefs are some examples..."

​Galería Rosa Santos (Valencia)

Time to Confront Memories

Galería Rosa Santos presents projects by Andrea Canepa, Juanli Carrión, and Maha Maamoun. The three artists are connected in their interest in confronting memories.

Juanli Carrión’s #02 series started with a series of video interviews conducted to document the migration and cultural adaptation stories of immigrants. Every participant was later asked to select a plant that belongs to their country, that represents their individuality or their cultural heritage and that grows in Spain. Thus, immigrant stories are interpreted as the "poetics of science."

Maha Maamoun's works are mostly about the language of representation. In other words, the artist works with a wide range of materials including Egyptian cinema, YouTube clips, holy texts and pulp fiction. Peruvian artist Andrea Canepa researches the organization, categorization, and management of knowledge. Her series of 82 architectural photographs are appropriated from science-fiction films; each image shows a moment from a film about the future. 

Xavierlaboulbenne (Berlin)

Small Structures Should Take Bigger Risks

Xavierlaboulbenne is participating in Contemporary Istanbul with works selected from Sara Mathiasson, Anton Stoianov, and Gengoroh Tagame. The artists are brought together around the specific theme of formalization, ethnological fiction and neo-baroque formalism.

Sara Mathiasson's work presented at the fair is hand-woven hair sculptures, offering ethnic-fiction totems that question national identity formations through humor. Anton Stoianov's large-scale, three-dimensional painting Laocoon, representing shapeless face and human torso with limbs, made of leather, will be exhibited at the fair for the very first time. Gengoroh Tagame is inspired by Turkish male archetypes in original drawings reflecting the national treasure of Japan, reproducing the erotic characters of the tradition of Shunga. While representing the savagery of the contemporary situations, Tagame expands on the gender activism movement.

Anja Matsuda says that Istanbul has always presented an extraordinary position in the cultural mix. About the art market, she comments, "Although museums and foundations are run like businesses these days, there is also an animosity towards or a supposed opposition to the art market today or to the collectivity of all institutional activities." She adds that small structures can take bigger risks and they are more open to contemporary experimentation and developments. 

König Galerie (Berlin)

Participating With a Large Selection

König Galerie participates in the fair with a large selection from their artist's list. The gallery will present works by Alicja Kwade, Joride Voigt, Jeremy Shaw, Jeppe Hein, Camille Henrot, Tatiana Trouvé, Michael Sailstorfer, Johannes Wohnseifer, Annette Kelm, and Henning Bohl. The gallery representatives speak of their excitement to present their gallery and the artists represented by the gallery to a new part of the world. "We are hoping to make interesting connections with collectors, curators and institutions in the region and to learn more about the Turkish art market," says Rachel Walker. She highlights the striking list of works they will present at the fair, "One of the most interesting works is Jorinde Voigt's large-scale work on paper using gold leaves, Inkommunikabilität V. Annette Kelm's new photograph from her "Home" series that will be exhibited for the first time will also be interesting for viewers."

Walker says that they have already made contacts at the Vehbi Koç Foundation and SAHA Association. She further notes that Turkey's smart and open-minded collectors provide galleries with a magnificent market and they are hoping to strengthen these relationships and to form new ones.

Dar Al-Anda Art Gallery (Amman)

First Participation at an Art Fair

Dar Al-Anda Art Gallery says that they are very excited to be a part of CI, adding that this is the first art fair that the gallery has participated in since their founding in 1998.

The gallery will present cylinders that utilize developing media to reflect a consistent and happy style and accordion-style books by Abdulqader Bakhit—who is also the artistic director of the gallery—, and Shaiban Ahmed's atmospherically dark works. Ghadeer Saeed uses motifs on a modern background to create a contrast, memorable in the use of historic and traditional forms. Qahtan Alameen's graphic style combining the antique and the modern, opening up popular culture with a provocative style is another remarkable name. Eman Haram transforms symbols in content to subvert mythic paradigms. Bahram Hajjo and Baqer Al-Shaikh, who are known to deal with the loneliness of human kind, masterful sculptor Norio Takaoka, Claudia Scarsella who makes digital and traditional collage works are among the artists who are participating in the fair with this gallery.

When we inquire about the place of the Turkish art market globally, Abdulah Al-Ghoul answers, "As the meeting point of the East and the West, Turkey is definitely the most appropriate place for us to exhibit works, both geographically and culturally. We thus see a huge potential here to promote our art and to give the message of intercultural exchange."

Galeria Propaganda (Warsaw)

What Matters Is Not The Admiration But The Impact

Galeria Propaganda is representing only one artist at the fair. The gallery is participating in the fair with Adam Jastrzebski and says of their choice, "We needed a strong image and for this, we chose Adam Jastrzebski. His art is colorful, very original and you'll recognize it immediately once you see it. He leaves an incredible impression wherever we show his work. What matters is not the admiration but the impact!"

When we inquire about the Turkish art market, the gallery representative Paulina Maga answers, "We all know that there is a lot of money in the art world. A few years ago, Sotheby's London organized a Turkish auction. It was very successful. It was really impressive that Nazif Topçuoğlu participated in the Venice Biennial at the time. This shows that Turkish art and collectors are increasingly international. We all hope this is the case." 

Shirin Gallery (Tehran)

CI is Becoming Stronger in the Middle-Eastern Market

Shirin Gallery is participating in the fair with seven artists: Ali Akbar Sadeghi, Kourosh Shishegaran, Hadi Hazavei, Farnaz Rabieijah, Adel Hosseininik, Masoumeh Abirinia, Gizella Varga Sinai. Owner of the gallery Shirin Tavakolian says that, "When we speak of Turkish contemporary art, we are going to be talking about a well-expressed past that forms a strong backbone for the future." She further notes that CI has strengthened the art market of the Middle East as cultural interface of the Middle East. She further notes that their participation to in the Tehran focus section of CI is very important for them.

Owner of Shirin Gallery Shirin Tavakolian articulates the importance of the fair for them, "As the owner of an Iranian gallery, I want to say that we participate in art fairs around the world is to promote Persian art and culture to a wider audience and to form an academic platform for the new generation. The expectation from art fairs is that the works are turned into money, to become established and to be able to draw in enough buyers. It is necessary to plan how the fair will advertise, because promotion is everything. This is a two-sided thing: The art fair's pr needs to bring in collectors, museum and institution directors, curators, critics who are interested in the fair—those exhibiting need to also work to attract these people." 

Nasui Collection & Gallery (Bucharest)

Provocative Choices

Nasui Collection & Gallery participates in CI with conceptual sculptures, innovation and scientific research-based works. The gallery representatives say that the choices they made are quite provocative; they are hoping to present to art enthusiasts and art collectors high-quality materials in the works as well as special ideas and concepts that they will appreciate.

The gallery participates in the fair with a special project that focuses on Romanian sculpture. Works by artists including Stant, Bogdan Rata, Catalin Badarau, Gabriel Kelemen will exhibit the original and interesting development in contemporary Romanian sculpture in the last 10 years, ranging from cinematic design to non-traditional new materials to social art.

Curator Cosmin Nasui says that they have been visiting Contemporary Istanbul in the past years and that they were impressed by the fair's ability to gain rapid acceptance, the high-caliber of the galleries and the development of the collector pool. He adds, "We can see that Turkey seems to be in the running in the global art market." 

Lazarides Gallery (London)

Never Before Seen Works by JR

Representative of Lazarides Gallery, Steve Lazarides, expresses their excitement about being in a region they have never exhibited in before and adds, "Up until today, we have opened exhibitions mostly in the US and in London. We can't wait to receive the feedback of fresh perspectives and to hear what they have to say about our artists and their works."

When we inquire about whose works they will exhibit at the fair, Lazarides says, "In order to make viewers see the gallery's vision, we have filled our booth with works by all the artists that we represent." Prominent among the artists that they will show are internationally renowned photographer JR's previously unseen works and airbrush portraits of Miaz brothers. Conor Harrington's striking oil paintings and English painter Antony Micallef are also among the important artists whose works will be displayed at their booth.