Contemporary Istanbul 2026 Art Fair

Contemporary Istanbul 21^st Edition
23–27 September 2026 | Tersane Istanbul
VIP Preview: 23 September
Public Opening: 24–27 September

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With Akbank as main partner, Contemporary Istanbul returns to Tersane Istanbul for its 21^st edition, welcoming artists, galleries, collectors and art enthusiasts from around the world.

Featuring over 70 galleries from 24 countries, CI21 continues to reinforce Istanbul’s position within the international contemporary art landscape. Participants from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and Latin America will take part in the edition, including 20 galleries making their Contemporary Istanbul debut, alongside more than 1,500 works by over 500 artists.

CI21 also launches Focus: Asia, a two-year initiative dedicated to the dynamic and rapidly evolving contemporary art landscape across Asia. Making its debut this edition, New Grounds supports young and emerging galleries while offering greater international visibility to new artists, practices and artistic production.

Alongside the gallery presentations, an extensive special projects programme brings works, institutions and collections from Asia and beyond into focus. Highlights include Jaume Plensa’s seven-metre-high public sculpture Juana; Chisato Matsumoto, presented in collaboration with Pearl Lam Gallery; Cao Taiping: In the Wake, curated by Wai Kung; an installation project by Shaikh Rashid Al Khalifa; a special presentation dedicated to Shozo Shimamoto; a selection from SIGG Foundation and MIA Art Collection.

The Contemporary Istanbul Foundation’s international talk series, CIF Dialogues, returns under the theme The Long and Winding Road, opening up conversations and fresh perspectives around art, culture and global exchange.

For its 21st edition, Contemporary Istanbul invites audiences to discover a wide-ranging view of contemporary art, shaped by galleries, artists and perspectives from across the world, in Istanbul.

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