Contemporary Istanbul 2026 Expands to 70 Galleries with New Sculpture Parcour and Asia Focus
The 21st edition of Contemporary Istanbul is ongoing at Tersane until 27 September, showcasing 70 galleries, an increase from last year's 52, with 22 newcomers. Noteworthy exhibits feature Dor Guez from Carlier | Gebauer and Nida Sinnokrot. Guez's piece, Khobiza (2024), connects his family's 1948 exile to the current situation in Gaza, while Sinnokrot's In Flight – Jalazone (2016) depicts pigeons released over a refugee camp. The fair highlights Asian art with five galleries, including Pearl Lam Projects, which presents Zahrah Alghamdi's One Pulse, Many Lives (2026) and Chisato Matsumoto's Sail of Light (2026). Dominated by Turkish galleries, it includes Galeri77's Love Me the Most II (2026) and x-ist's dynamic interiors. New Grounds features Method Gallery and Shiva Zahed Gallery, while Sculpture Parcour showcases 13 outdoor sculptures, including Rahshid Al Khalifa's Inhabited Crate – Multicolored (2026).
Key facts
- Contemporary Istanbul's 21st edition runs until 27 September at Tersane.
- The fair has grown from 52 galleries last year to 70, with 22 first-time participants.
- It moves between two main halls, including the larger Hall B with a vast waffle-concrete ceiling.
- Carlier | Gebauer presents six artists, including Dor Guez and Nida Sinnokrot.
- Dor Guez's Khobiza (2024) connects the displacement of his Palestinian family in 1948 with relatives in Gaza today.
- Nida Sinnokrot's In Flight – Jalazone (2016) documents pigeons carrying LED lights released above the Jalazone refugee camp at midnight.
- Pearl Lam Projects from Hong Kong presents Zahrah Alghamdi and Chisato Matsumoto, among others.
- Zahrah Alghamdi's One Pulse, Many Lives (2026) is a series of embroidered works on cotton fabric panels.
- Chisato Matsumoto's Sail of Light (2026) draws on shibori and dialogues with Tersane's maritime history.
- Galeri77 shows Mutlu Aksu's Love Me the Most II (2026), and x-ist shows Pamir Yıldıran's series of nine paintings.
- The New Grounds section is dedicated to nine galleries founded within the last five years.
- Method Gallery from New Delhi spotlights Kunel Gaur, among others.
- Shiva Zahed Gallery joins for the first time, featuring Maryam Ashkanian, Fereydoun Ave and Mahsa Karimizadeh.
- Sculpture Parcour introduces 13 outdoor sculptures, including Rahshid Al Khalifa's Inhabited Crate – Multicolored (2026), curated by Marc-Olivier Wahler.
- Bahadir Baruter's Fatties-Pride and Fatties-Joy (both 2026) are two bronze dancing sculptures.
Entities
Artists
- Dor Guez
- Nida Sinnokrot
- Zahrah Alghamdi
- Chisato Matsumoto
- Mutlu Aksu
- Pamir Yıldıran
- Kunel Gaur
- Maryam Ashkanian
- Fereydoun Ave
- Mahsa Karimizadeh
- Rahshid Al Khalifa
- Marc-Olivier Wahler
- Bahadir Baruter
- Ali Güreli
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Latika Nehra
- Shamit Iqtidar
- Su Xiaobai
- Qiu Anxiong
- Leonora Carrington
- Eline Martherus
- Colette LaVette
- Tracey Emin
- Lucia Koch
- Abdulhamid Kircher
- Julie Mehretu
- Renée Levi
- Vittoria Caprotti
- Volkan Aslan
- Emre Yusufi
- Laurence Jenkell
- Matthias Verginer
- Nilbar Gures
- Enrico Castellani
- Maria Apollonio
- Andy Warhol
- Richard Prince
- Gheorghe Ilea
- David Nuur
- Gurgen Babayan
- Daron Mouradian
- Mikayel Ohanjanyan
- Burcu Yagcioglu
- Rasim Aksan
- Johann Louw
- Halil Altindere
- Zlad Antar
- Katerina Belkina
- Stephen Chambers
- Sean Molloy
- Ioan Sbarciu
- Pavel Grosu
- João Vilhena
- Marco Enrico Giacomelli
- MARCK
- Merve Morkoc
- Merzbow
- Balkan Karisman
- Asli Cavusoglu
- Gurur Birsin
- Bahattin Eren
- Gözde Ilkin
- Nilbar Güres
- Mary Ashkanian
- Haji Bektash Veli
- Velázquez
- Louis XVI
- Marie Antoinette
Institutions
- Contemporary Istanbul
- Carlier | Gebauer
- Pearl Lam Projects
- Galeri77
- x-ist
- Method Gallery
- Shiva Zahed Gallery
- Canvas
- Tersane Istanbul
- Whitestone Gallery
- Michel Rein
- Galerie Vallois
- Galerie Tanit
- Galeria Francisco Fino
- Zilberman
- Pi Artworks
- Anna Laudel
- Galeri Nev Istanbul
- Sevil Dolmacı
- Leila Heller Gallery
- Buchmann Galerie
- Pedro Cera
- Turkish Airlines
- The Art Newspaper
- Mia Art Collection
- Sigg Art Foundation
- Method
- Pearl Jam Projects
- Gillian Jason Gallery
- carlier | gebauer
- Öktem Aykut
- Artribune
- Contemporary Istanbul Art Culture and Education Foundation
- Central Bank of Turkey
- Antonio Colombo (gallery)
- Eduardo Secci (gallery)
- Alberta Pane (gallery)
- Galleria Continua
- Liquid Art System
- Galeri Baraz
- Artmedy
- Mark Hachem
- Marlborough
- C24 Gallery
- Archeus / Post-Modern
- Nosbaum Reding
- Plan B
- Galeri 77
- Galerist
- SMAC
- RED Art
- Zilberman Gallery
- Pilot (gallery)
- Almine Rech
- Ethan Cohen (gallery)
- Faur Zsófi (gallery)
- Atelier Rose&Gray
- Gibbons & Nicholas
- Sector 1
- Siemens
- Antoine Levi (gallery)
- Art: Concept (gallery)
- Jocelyn Wolff (gallery)
- Martch Art Project
- Trendyol Art
- Istanbul Modern
- Galerie 77
- Art on Istanbul
- Ridvan Kuday
- artSümer
- SEVIL DOMACI
- FAD Magazine
Locations
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Tersane
- Hong Kong
- Saudi Arabia
- Japan
- New Delhi
- India
- Jalazone refugee camp
- Gaza
- Palestine
- Bahrain
- Tersane Istanbul
- Golden Horn
- Paris
- France
- Beirut
- Lebanon
- Lisbon
- Portugal
- Europe
- Middle East
- Asia
- Bosphorus
- London
- England
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Ankara
- Istanbul Congress Center
- United Kingdom
- Venice
- Italy
- San Gimignano
- Capri
- Positano
- Anacapri
- New York
- United States
- Vallauris
- Luxembourg
- Cluj
- Romania
- Berlin
- Cape Town
- South Africa
- Johannesburg
- Stellenbosch
- Budapest
- Hungary
- Manchester
- Dublin
- Ireland
- Bucharest
- Brussels
- Belgium