Contemporary Istanbul

A great number of art lovers, collectors and members of foreign and domestic press gathered at the only international contemporary art fair in Turkey, Contemporary Istanbul. This one was the 6th exhibition and opened on 23rd November. The fair has been visited by 62,000 art lovers and 2,100 collectors in 5 days. As the most extensive modern and contemporary art event in Turkey, Contemporary Istanbul hosted national and international galleries, artists from all over the world. The exhibition was to showcase contemporary art through different media like painting, sculpture, photography, performance, installation and video. But among all forms, I was more attracted by large scale sculptures and motion based installations.

Compared to previous years, it took more time to visit all pieces as the participation was enormous. My favorite pieces were various from sculpture to installation; however one that took my attention in the first place was the moving sculpture of Server Demirtas. I spent almost 5 minutes watching the sculpture with spontaneous movements back and forth hanging in deep perspective background. Another tempting corner was by Soda Art Gallery having a dominant scene with Derrick Santini's lenticular lightbox pieces. I like Soda exhibitions, as the gallery focuses on artists and designers using different materials and medias from various disciplines. They also support contemporary art jewellery, which is a globally rising trend. Jan Fabre's bronze statues represented by AD Gallery were stunning. The gallery was established in Athens, exhibiting avant-garde Greek and international art for more than a decade. Every exhibition by AD is organized according to its own criteria and with no reference to any previous shows.

6th Contemporary Istanbul will be welcoming guests at Istanbul Congress Center by November 25th.

Istanbul Biennial

Long awaited 12th Istanbul Biennial takes place at Antrepo 3 and 5 since September. Having hosted many biennials, starting with the fourth edition, these venues have also witnessed important transformations in terms of architectural design. This time, Hoffmann and Pedrosa invited the Office of Ryue Nishizawa to create the environment, the architectural reflection of the ideas they were developing. With our belief in art’s power to understand and change the world, it is possible to say that “Untitled” exhibition is organized with an effort to transform the world we live in into a better place.

Among various, my favorite piece of the whole exhibition is Giant (Gigante) by Portuguese artist Francisco Tropa. The artist believes that death is the matrix that emanates from all and any artistic construction. "It perhaps lies at art's primeval origin, as a mark of this secret threshold or celebration of this passage, to which was later added a sense of religiosity that has forever impregnated the artistic object as a mediator between two worlds" says Tropa about this compelling piece. In Giant, beyond an evident irony, the title involves an allusion to the use of scale in sculpture. The artist presents two identical skeletons arranged on the floor, molded in bronze, based on the same absent original. These two bodies are accompanied with a projection of a feather, of a magnified image of it, of a breath of air, allusions that evince a certain melancholy. The entire image is offered to whoever passes by. And whoever looks at it also observes the observer. I believe this remarkable piece of work is one of the most compelling yet touching installations of the "Untitled" exhibition.

12th Istanbul Biennial will be welcoming guests at Antrepo, Istanbul Modern Museum of Art by November 13th.