When the feminist collective Guerrilla Girls – the anonymous group that has denounced gender inequality in the art system since the 1980s – visited the city of Istanbul in 2006, they launched an unexpected message: “Women artists of the world, come to Istanbul”. The slogan was not irony but a diagnosis. According to your data, The presence of women – artists, curators, gallery owners and collectors – was higher there than in many Western scenes. Two decades later, that observation continues to function as a possible gateway to reading the present of contemporary art in Türkiye.
In the fifth edition of CI Bloom, the fair that Contemporary Istanbul promotes every April at the Lütfi Kırdar convention centerthat perception no longer appears as an exception but as part of a consolidated ecosystem. “In Turkey, the presence of women in art is very high, even more than in many Western countries. If one looks at the history of the local scene, the female role was strong from the beginning,” says historian and curator Marcus Graf, who has closely followed the development of the circuit for more than two decades, during a tour of the fair.
With the participation of almost 30 galleries not only from Istanbul but also from cities such as Ankara or Bodrum, more than 320 artists and some 860 works, CI Bloom functions as a concentrated – and deliberately young – version of the Turkish art system. Unlike Contemporary Istanbul, its sister fair that takes place every September with the presence of galleries from all over the world, including from Argentina, the focus here is on emerging galleries that reflect the local scene. “The fair reflects very well the state of the market and artistic production in Turkey. Consolidated galleries, younger projects and an increasing presence of works with political and social content coexist,” explains Graf.
Although 70 percent of sales continue to be concentrated in the painting format, the tour of the property reveals an opening towards more hybrid practices, with the presence of digital works, non-traditional materials, photography, sculptures and installations. “Fairs tend to be more conservative, more sales-oriented, while biennials tend to be experimental. But here a shift is beginning to be noticed, with more artists working in an interdisciplinary way and with works that engage with the social and political,” adds the historian.
In a city that for centuries was the capital of empires – first Byzantium, then the Ottoman Empire under the name of Constantinople -, this transformation is also read in a historical key. “The development of art in Türkiye has some parallels with the West, but its bases are very different,” explains Graf. “While in Europe the tradition is based on the Renaissance and the Baroque, here the legacy includes calligraphy, miniature painting and the visual traditions of the Ottoman period.” For decades, that heritage remained in the background within contemporary production: “Today, however, many artists return to those traditions and combine them with feminist, political or conceptual approaches, in a crossover that redefines the idea of the local without giving up the contemporary,” details the specialist.
This change is also perceived in the consolidation of a new generation of collectors. “Contemporary collecting in Turkey is relatively young, but it has grown a lot. It is no longer just about large traditional buyers: there are more diverse, younger profiles who are interested in art and seek to be part of that circuit,” he explains. In that sense, the fair is not only a space for buying and selling, but also for building links within the scene.
CI Bloom is part of a broader economic and geopolitical context. In a country with high inflation and an international scenario crossed by conflicts, the organization decided to reduce participation costs for galleries by 30 percent and fix the exchange rate in Turkish lira in advance. “Every day we receive negative news and that generates discouragement. People are losing enthusiasm, and we felt that it was necessary to encourage participation and sustain the activity,” explains Ali Güreli, founder and president of Contemporary Istanbul.
In this framework, Istanbul’s position once again becomes relevant, being located between Europe and Asia, which reinforces its role as a meeting point. “Art is the most powerful tool we must have at hand in this terrifying war environment. Art allows us to think differently and, in a way, resist what is happening around us,” reflects the founder of the fair.
Galleries such as Anna Laudel, Art On Istanbul, Bozlu, DG Art Gallery, Dirimart and Piramid Sanat were part of the meeting that was attended by about 12,000 people and achieved sales of over 60 percent according to the organizers.
Mercedes Ezquiaga, from Istanbul.
by Mercedes Ezquiaga
Image gallery
