Press Release
Istanbul, March 11th 2014
CONTEMPORARY ISTANBUL AND AKBANK PRIVATE BANKING HOST AN
EXCLUSIVE EVENT AT THE AL QASR HOTEL, DUBAI ON MARCH 19th
The 9th edition of Contemporary Istanbul, the leading international art fair will
take place from November 13th to November 16th 2014 at the Istanbul Congress Centre
and the Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICEC). While preparing to welcome
once again an impressive number of prestigious galleries, Contemporary Istanbul is
gathering significant names from the international art scene in Dubai with its main
sponsor Akbank Private Banking.
Contemporary Istanbul brings international focus to the dynamic art scene in the unique
metropolis, will make Istanbul the focus of a broad international art audience once again.
Throughout 2014, Contemporary Istanbul has planned to host approximately 12 international
events from New York to Dubai to Shanghai and so on. Contemporary Istanbul continues to expand all
around the globe via special occasions in parallel with the most attended worldwide art fairs and art
centers such as Armory Show, Art Dubai or then again MOCA Shanghai!
Contemporary Istanbul with its main sponsor Akbank Private Banking, will stage an
event during Art Dubai - the international art fair in the MENASA (Middle East/North Africa/South
Asia) one of the region’s booming contemporary art community. For the second year round,
Contemporary Istanbul will host a cocktail reception at the Al Qasr Hotel in Dubai on March 19th
will bring together a range of worldwide art influencers, collectors, international media press members and
impressive curators-artists.
Ali Güreli, Chairman of Contemporary Istanbul “In the past eight years, the level of success has
always followed an upwards trend and it is now considered to be one of the most premier art events in
Istanbul, a week dedicated to contemporary art, across the city with the participating institutions, galleries
and cultural centers. Running between November 10th and 16th, museums, foundations, initiatives and
galleries hosted a range of activities. Our vision is to be a fair embedded in the culture of Istanbul while
being an artistic hub for galleries. We believe in the assets of the local culture should not to be effaced by
the uniform, homogenous global culture. Aligning ourselves to the values in the last eight years, we
gathered not only galleries from across the world but also hosted countries like Golf Countries, Eastern
European Countries and this year Russia. Thus highlighting the unique glocal idiosyncrasy (the character)
of Contemporary Istanbul as not only an art fair, but a cultural platform.”
Çağdaş İstanbul Sanat Organizasyon ve Yatırımları A.Ş.
Mete Cad. No 10/11 Taksim 34437 İstanbul Tel: +90 212 244 7171 Fax: +90 212 244 7181
www.contemporaryistanbul.com info@contemporaryistanbul.com
Didem Bağrıaçık – Division Head at Akbank Private Banking- informed guests about the works
of Akbank Private Banking and art markets at the cocktail. Mrs. Bağrıaçık started her speech with the
following words: “We provide optimum and stable benefit opportunities to our customers with personal
investment solutions.” and continued “Additionally, we constantly share information about art markets
and new art tendencies with our clients; and we aim to satisfy their varied demands.” and she added: “We
-Akbank Private Banking- have been supporting Contemporary Art for 11 years. We will be the main
sponsor of Contemporary Istanbul for the 8th time, the first and only Contemporary art fair in Turkey,
that exhibits the most important works of Contemporary art. In this concept we are delighted to be here
at Art Dubai, as Contemporary Istanbul’s main sponsor.”
Galleries like Pi Artworks, Galerist and Yavuz Fine Art that participate to Contemporary Istanbul
are also present at Art Dubai.
Contemporary Istanbul 9th Edition
For the second year running an addition to the fair is Plug-In New Media Section, dedicated to
showcasing video art and new media in adjacent 1000 square meters area, and which was a spectacular
success last year, will present video art, sound and light installations, interactive and generative design
installations by established and emerging artists along with leading galleries.
A comprehensive CI Dialogues talk program will complement the second year of Plug-In Istanbul
alongside New Horizons program.
New Horizons is a section of Contemporary Istanbul that represents a specific country by offering an
annual focus of contemporary art from the selected geographic region. 2014’s Contemporary Istanbul
edition will put a spotlight on China. In the recent decades China has participated with expanding and
growing success in worldwide contemporary art and will be Contemporary Istanbul’s guest country.
The 9th edition’s focus is on China, hosting galleries, artists, curators, publications, art critics and
collectors from China in Istanbul Congress Center part of the fair.
Contemporary Istanbul will be entering China by introducing itself via an event on March 29th 2014 at the
Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MOCA Shanghai). The event will take place at one of the most
outstanding and important museum not only for China but for the whole Asian Pacific region. This event
will consist of a press conference followed by a presentation and a cocktail reception. The guest country
New Horizons of this year’s ninth edition of Contemporary Istanbul being China; the topic will be
announced at the press conference. The presentation will point out and define Turkish contemporary art.
Throughout 2014, Contemporary Istanbul has planned to host approximately twelve international events
from New York to Dubai to Shanghai and so on. Contemporary Istanbul continues to expand all around
the globe via special occasions in parallel with the most attended worldwide art fairs and art centers such
as Armory Show, Art Dubai or then again MOCA Shanghai.
Press Contact:
Contemporary Istanbul
Gemma Saraçoğlu
gemma@contemporaryistanbul.com - +90 534 360 02 04
Notes to Editors:
Here are the key points of the 8th edition:
•
The 8th edition gathered 95 contemporary art galleries from 22 countries.
•
The fair attracted 72,000 art lovers and 1,200 collectors throughout the 5 days, an increase of 20%
in the number of visitors compared to the last year.
•
1,000 press members from written, visual and digital media from Turkey and approximately 150
press members from Gulf Countries, Korea, China Singapore as well as European countries such as
Germany, England, USA, Spain, France and Italy covered Contemporary Istanbul this year.
Visitor Information:
Contemporary Istanbul 9th edition
13-16 November 2014
Preview 12 November
www.contemporaryistanbul.com
facebook.com/Contemporaryistanbul
twitter.com/Contemporaryist
Press Contact:
Contemporary Istanbul
Gemma Saraçoğlu
gemma@contemporaryistanbul.com - +90 534 360 02 04