In September 2022, Istanbul highlights the best names in contemporary art and architecture from Turkey and the world at the 17th Istanbul Biennial organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and at the Contemporary Istanbul art fair. From September 17 to 22, 2022 The Contemporary Istanbul will gather sixty-five galleries, and art initiatives from 22 countries in Tersane Istanbul, a 600-years historic landmark renovated by the award-winning firm Tabanlioglu Architects. Opening the same day until November 20, the Istanbul Biennial will be held in multiple venues around the historic city. For this edition, the visitors will experience the “sense of our times” by contemplating present-day life and the richly layered past.
17th Istanbul Biennial
For over 35 years, the Istanbul Biennial has brought together the most exciting names such as Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin and curators Adriano Pedrosa and Jens Hoffmann, among others. For 2022, curators Ute Meta Bauer, Amar Kanwar, and David Teh, in collaboration with Bige Örer, have included a number of contemporary art initiatives from around the country such as SAHA Studio, a 130-year-old power plant recently converted into a museum; and Müze Gazhan, an art space founded by Syrian artists. The Istanbul Biennial also serves as a civic and cultural catalyst to connect Istanbul, one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. The main venues: Beyoğlu, a cosmopolitan district on the European side of Istanbul; Kadıköy, a residential neighborhood on Istanbul's Asian shore; and the Old City (Fatih), invite to explore the city's neighborhoods and connect the present-day life and Istanbul’s richly layered past. Get more details on the venues, programs, and activities on the 17th Istanbul Biennial's official website.
Contemporary Istanbul
Located in Tersane, the Contemporary Istanbul art fair venue, is considered a historical gem from the 15th century. This Ottoman-era shipyard on the Golden Horn coast is a historical buildings complex renovated in 2015 by Tabanlioglu Architects. Protecting this historical counterpart of the Venetian Arsenale, the urban transformation project emphasizes the symbolic silhouette of old Istanbul and reclaims the prestigious identity of the past. A strong line-up of galleries from Europe, the Middle East, North America, Africa, and Asia fulfill the Contemporary Istanbul with a total of 1,476 artworks by 558 artists. The Yard exhibition in the outer courtyard of Tersane will feature 31 site-specific installations and sculptures by artists such as Anke Eilergerhard, Canan Tolon, Isaac Chong Wai, and Renée Levi. As part of the exhibitions, a dialogues series moderated by curator Marc Olivier Wahler, will discuss the art spaces of today and tomorrow. Moreover, in partnership with the Contemporary Istanbul art fair, BMW will present an exclusive Series Gran Coupe designed by the American artist Jeff Koons. To see the complete list of artists and participants visit the Contemporary Istanbul official website.
