ISTANBUL.- Contemporary Istanbul, the leading international art fair in the region, announced the preliminary exhibitors list for the upcoming 12th edition of the fair. CI brings together leading contemporary art galleries from Turkey and around the world, giving a regional and international focus to the dynamic contemporary art scene that has developed in Istanbul in recent decades. Reflecting the role of Istanbul as a centre point between East and West, CI strongly believes – now more than ever – in the critical role of art as a catalyst for dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation.

Notable for its unique position both geographically and culturally, CI pays undivided attention to Turkish contemporary art and also prides itself on bringing together galleries, artists and collectors from around the world. CI uniquely engages with artists and collectors from the entire region including the Caucasus, the Black Sea, the former Russian Federation and the Middle East.

Kamiar Maleki, CI Fair Director comments: ‘Istanbul is an important global arts hub that has championed both regional and international art. Being the gateway from Asia and Europe to the Middle East, the city and the country have a unique and strong collector base. Our aim is to exhibit the best art of the region as well as internationally acclaimed and respected artists at CI. In celebration of its 12th edition, CI will be welcoming several new leading galleries and representative countries to the fair alongside the region’s prominent young and established galleries.’

New participating galleries: Anna Laudel, Istanbul/ Art Sümer, Istanbul/ Eastwards Prospectus, Bucharest/ Flowers Gallery, London, New York/ Gallery 1957, Accra/ Gallery Tableau, Seoul/ Gazelli Art, London, Baku/ Galerist, Istanbul/ Leila Heller, Dubai, New York/ Maximillian William, London/ N2 Gallery, Barcelona/ Nicodim Gallery, Bucharest, Los Angeles/ Parasite Gallery, Tel Aviv/ Plan B, Cluj-Nopaco, Berlin/ Pilevneli Project, Istanbul/ Sanatorium, Istanbul/ Setareh Gallery, Dusseldorf/ Shirin Gallery, Tehran, New York/ Smac Gallery, Cape Town/ Triangle Gallery, Tel Aviv/ Victoria Miro, London/ Vigo Gallery, London.

Returning participating galleries: AB Gallery, Seoul/ ACAF Projects, Shanghai/ Aria Art Gallery, Florence/ Art On, Istanbul/ C24 Gallery, New York/ C E P Gallery, Istanbul/ Dastan’s Basement, Tehran/ Dirimart, Istanbul/ Gaia Gallery, Istanbul/ Gallery One, Ramallah/ Galeri 77, Istanbul/ Galeri Nev, Istanbul/ Isabel Croxatto, Santiago/ Galeria Joan Gaspar, Barcelona/ Karavil Contemporary, London/ Krank Art Gallery, Istanbul/ Liquid Art System, Capri, Istanbul/ Galerie Mark Hachem, Paris, Beirut/ Marlborough Gallery, New York/ Mixer, Istanbul/ Galeri Miz, Istanbul/ Öktem&Aykut, Istanbul/ PG ART Gallery, Istanbul/ Pi Artwoks, Istanbul, London/ Project Art Beat, Tbilisi/ Galeria Senda, Barcelona/ Siyah Beyaz Gallery, Ankara/ SODA Gallery, Istanbul/ X-İst, Istanbul/ Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo, Barcelona/ Villa Del Arte Galleries, Barcelona/ Zilberman Gallery, Istanbul-Berlin.

The Selection Committee for the 12th edition of the fair are: Kamiar Maleki (CI Fair Director), Marc Oliver Wahler (Director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University), Nathalie Mamane Cohen (Collector), Haldun Dostoğlu (Founder & Director of Galeri Nev Istanbul), Yeşim Turanlı (New member/Founder & Director of Pi Artworks Istanbul/London), Alexander Heller (New member/Co-founder of Leila Heller Gallery Dubai & Curator) and Kemal Has Cıngıllıoğlu (New member/Collector) and Simon de Pury (New member/Collector and Curator).

Ali Güreli, CI’s Chairman, comments: ‘We are not for yesterday, nor today - but for tomorrow. Over the past decade, Istanbul’s contemporary art scene has grown to become globally recognised, acting as a focal point for the region. The city has an established art infrastructure that incorporates museums, galleries, foundations, biennials, festivals and fairs, in a unique location with a rich cultural heritage and a strong market attracting international attention. It is important to note that the numerous private museums and galleries that have opened in recent years also continue to enrich Istanbul and Turkey. CI is proud to have played a major role in this extraordinary time. During the second week of September 2017, various arts events will take place across Istanbul including Contemporary Istanbul, as well as special projects at 7 art institutions, 5 museum exhibitions, 35 other exhibitions and the 15th Istanbul Biennial, forming a unique visual art scene within the city. The most recent major cultural project of the Vehbi Koç Foundation is the establishment of a new contemporary art museum executed by Grimshaw Architects and scheduled to open in autumn 2018 in Istanbul. Just as cities shape art, art shapes cities.’