By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL (TURKISH JOURNAL)- Turkey’s top art event, the 16th Contemporary Istanbul art fair which ended on Sunday was a wonderland of veritable, creative genius with exhibits from the Turkish artist Bedri Baykam to the ever posthumously popular American artist, Keith Haring as well as original Joan Miro and Picasso pieces on display from the Spanish art gallery Joan Gaspar This year a much broader selection of artists and sculptors showcased in outdoor installations at the unique, historical shipyard space known as Tersane. The historical space formerly known centuries ago as the Arsenal, covers a wide expansive area where visitors flow from one art room to the next. Tersane Istanbul overlooks the Golden Horn and is known as one of the oldest shipyards in the world with a history of over 500 years. This year’s fair hosted 58 galleries and cultural institutions as well as 436 artists and 1,234 art installations and unites the world’s leading art galleries, art professionals and artists in Istanbul which has been an art hub for decades.
The highlight of Contemporary Istanbul this year was an inspiring artwork by Dutch artist Christiaan Lieverse entitled “Agua Verde” that depicts a beautiful, mysterious woman superimposed on an oriental carpet at the Villa del Arte gallery space. The exhibition included a wide range of sculpture, paintings and American themes that included Mickey Mouse, Lois Lane and Superman. There was digital art as well as a multitude of innovative art that included unique fabric hangings by Rachel Hay and Istanbul 74’s sustainable flag display. A number of top Turkish galleries exhibited as well as selected well known foreign galleries from Berlin, Iran, Italy, Spain, France and Argentina. The venue includes over 102,000 square feet inside the Halic Shipyards building – formerly inaccessible to the public – with an additional 107,600 feet of outdoor space on the waterfront. Participating galleries included Pi Artworks from Istanbul and London, Mohsen Galleries from Tehran, AB Gallery of Seoul, Berman Gallery from Johannesburg as well as a host of other top galleries.
